Labour MP Kim Johnson is advocating for a public inquiry into the historic injustice of the educational treatment of black children labeled as educationally subnormal during the 1960s and 70s. She asserts that many remain unaware of the extent of the injustice, which contributed to ongoing systemic racism in education. The debate highlighted that the closure of ESN schools correlates with rising school exclusions and higher incarceration rates. Testimonies from survivors illustrate the severe and lasting impacts of this policy on their educational opportunities and life trajectory.
At a debate on Wednesday evening in parliament, Johnson told MPs that many racist barriers still exist in education that have evolved directly from the policies and attitudes that drove the ESN scandal.
Survivors, campaigners, lawyers, educational professors and psychologists had shared their testimonies in parliament on Tuesday before Wednesday's debate, each highlighting the unique way the systematic failure had either affected them or the lives of black children.
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