Gary North

Sept. 17, 2010

An article on school violence appeared in the Atlanta Post. The author, who teaches at the City University of New York, warned about the rising tide of violence in the inner city.

I recently sat in on a meeting with African youth in Harlem. . . . Student after student recounted the violence they commonly experience: siblings shot out of mistaken identity, students being shot at for greeting their old friends who had dropped out of school, witnessing fights that escalated for little reason, etc. Their painful tales were sobering. If we are to reform education, we must also work at transforming the neighborhoods that surround schools.

The inner cities take the brunt of the violence, but it is spreading to the suburbs. What is going on in the inner city is an early warning of what is in stire for the suburbs in a decade or two.

The US Department of Justice estimates that 87 percent of inner-city high school youth have been exposed to violence in school within the last year. This type of persistent exposure to violence contributes to the stress students feel, the grades they earn, and whether they choose to continue with their education. . . .

Thinking seriously about what Black youth have to deal with involves acknowledging that great schools should not just target basic academic skills but also keeping our children's whole development in mind. Physical safety must be our concern if we are concerned with nurturing the mind.

Parents who want safety for their children had better consider private education. If they cannot afford a private school they had better adopt home schooling.