Apartheid. USA 1988

November 21, 1987:

The New York State Board of Regents has appointed a special panel of three of its members to explore whether black and other minority-group students have distinct ‘learning styles’ that may call for teaching techniques that are different from those used for whites.

A controversy over learning styles erupted some time ago with the publication of a new Board of Regents booklet suggesting that the cultural heritage of black and other minority group students might prevent them from learning in the same way as white students learn. One passage in the booklet asserted that ‘children's racial, ethnic and emotional backgrounds and cultures influence the manner in which they learn concepts and process information. ‘The qualities cited included ‘a preference for inferential reasoning rather than deductive or inductive reasoning’ and ‘a tendency to approximate space, number and time instead of aiming for complete accuracy.’

The booklet drew sharp criticism from several key educators, who said it was racist and called for the Regents to withdraw it. ‘This booklet is sending the wrong signals not only in New York State but throughout,’ said Assemblywoman Cynthia Jenkins, Democrat of Queens. ‘God didn't give brains on the basis of color,’ said Mrs Jenkins who is black. ‘What are you going to tell teachers that have Asian, black, white and Hispanic kids - that they are going to have four different lesson plans?’ But others, including several prominent black educators, have spoken out strongly in favor of the concepts embodied in the booklet, arguing that it may add a dimension of understanding in teaching minority group students, who have previously been considered

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poor learners. ‘I don't see it as an issue of racism at all,’ said Adlaide Sanford, a black member of the Board of Regents who served for many years as principal of a predominantly black school in Brooklyn. ‘For the first time we are saying, maybe we haven't been doing this right - maybe these students can learn.’^173.

Calling the New York school system ‘a disaster’, Governor Mario Cuomo of New York told members of a West Side Democratic Forum: ‘Forget about task force to study the new York School System. Forget about studies. We know what is wrong. Do something right now.’

The proposed Task Force would make recommendations concerning governance, management and finance in the New York City school system. Under the Regent's plan the Task Force would comprise 11 people drawn from business, government, labor, education and parents groups. When informed of the Governor's comments, Regents Chancellor, Martin C Barrell, said he was shocked.^174.

173. The New York Times, from a report by Mark A Uhlig

174. The New York Times, from a report by Deirdre Carmody