NEWS

On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court of the United States handed down their unanimous decision on the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka case, declaring that state laws which established separate public schools for black and white students were unconstitutional.

Ten years later, James Samuel Coleman, along with several other scholars, was commissioned by the Department of Education to write a report on educational equality in the U.S. With over 650,000 students in the sample, the final report was over 700 pages.

Completed in 1966, the report, titled “Equality of Educational Opportunity” but commonly referred to as the “Coleman Report”, found that student background and socioeconomic status were more important in determining student success than the physical amenities of a school or its funding. Students in socioeconomically diverse schools performed better.

Selwyn School is an independent private school, so we are not subjected to all policies laid out by the United States government. However, that does not mean we cannot learn from the history of public education in the U.S. to improve how we go about educating our students.

Inclusivity and diversity are extremely important at Selwyn School.

Here a few reasons why:

• Students in diverse schools have higher average test scores.
• Students in diverse schools are more likely to enroll in college.
• Students in diverse schools are less likely to drop out.
• Diverse schools help to reduce racial achievement gaps.
• Diverse classrooms encourage critical thinking, problem solving, and creativity.
• Attending a diverse school helps to reduce racial bias and to counter stereotypes.
• Students who attend diverse schools are more likely to seek out diverse settings later in life.
• Diverse classrooms can help improve students’ satisfaction and self-confidence.
• Learning in diverse settings enhances leadership skills.
• Diverse classrooms prepare students to participate and succeed in a global economy.

At Selwyn School, we believe all students deserve access to an equal education, regardless of family background, religion, culture, ethnicity, or gender.

The more we can teach our students about who they are and how they are related to the people around them, the more successful they will be as adults.

Interested in learning more about how we create an inclusive education environment at Selwyn School?

Contact us today.