Hackney's Shining Stars
Hackney Gazette
Historically working class children have faced challenges in the British education system. This is particularly true of black children. But despite that many of our black children are in fact doing brilliantly. I believe that acknowledging this success and celebrating excellence is as important as highlighting failure in seeking to reverse the negative trend of black pupils under-achieving. I believe it is crucial to remember that some of our children are achieving stellar results and fulfilling their true potential. This is why I organised an awards show for promising young Londoners at the House of Commons. I was particularly grateful for the sponsorship from UBS Investment Bank who provided lap top computers for the winners as well as a year long career mentoring opportunity.
I wanted to do something positive for those children who work hard and get results. There are too many negative images of young black men in particular in the media. There seems to be a real reluctance to want to report on the positive. The young people who were shortlisted for the awards have achieved remarkable things, often under the most distressing of personal circumstances, yet they rarely get any public acknowledgement. I believe that positive reinforcement and visible inspirational role models are important for our children. I was therefore pleased to see so many Hackney children amongst the shorlisted candidates. We celebrated Alex Mbaya from Hackney Community College, Abisola Bello from Stoke Newington, Hodan Abdule from Clapton Girls’ Technology College and Barian Mohidin from Homerton College of Technology, who all did brilliantly.
There is no doubt that the winners on the night have set outstanding examples for their peers. However, they don’t do it alone. Behind every successful child is a supportive and determined teacher. I believe that one of the best role models for any child is a supportive and inspirational teacher. One problem in our London schools is that we have a real shortage of black teachers.
A recent report has found that black teachers are facing more difficult terms in schools than their white counterparts which discourage them from choosing teaching as a profession. Those that do tend to leave. But we know that visible role models that our children can connect with are very important. I think it is crucial for London’s economy that our teaching workforce resembles the population and our classrooms as a whole.
We have seen what a difference a great teacher can make right here in Hackney. Joycelyn Bunbury has been the Headteacher at Colvestone Primary School since 2001. She quickly realised that in Hackney there are serious problems with the underachievement of black boys and made it her mission to guarantee that all Colvestone pupils achieve high standards. Her refusal to accept failure and her outstanding leadership has transformed Colvestone Primary School for all the children there. Ms Bunbury’s tireless work to ensure that children in Hackney know that they can achieve outstanding things is paying off. We are extremely lucky to have Ms Bunbury but we need more of her kind.
We need to do more to encourage people of all colours to become teachers and we need to support those already in the profession. We need a teaching workforce that looks like London. This is an important part of ensuring that all of our children can achieve their potential.
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