Friday, March 29, 2024

Grammar School’s Mock Slave Auction Asks Kids to Pick Best Slave for Their Business Needs

*A school in Kent, United Kingdom, thought it was perfectly okay to have eighth-graders learn about U.S. slavery by having them take part in a mock slave auction as prospective buyers.

As part of the exercise, the eighth-grade students at Rochester Grammar School (RGS) were asked to pretend that they had a budget of £100 ($130) and to pick the best slave for their business needs after examining the characteristics of the men and women on the auction block.

The class worksheet titled “Slave auction: lots to be sold today” showed 16 different lots. They included, “Lot 3: 2 Krumen males slaves freshly imported from Liberia. Very good condition. Lot 4: 2 Chamba slaves. 1 male. 1 female. At 28, they offer good breeding potential” and “Lot 7: 4 Yoruba males, aged about 21. 3 are very strong, 1 less so.”

Once the mock auction was met with outrage, the school defended its use of the exercise.

“We categorically condemn slavery and racism of any kind, whether historic or present, and are extremely proud of our multi-cultural school and the tolerant and inclusive atmosphere that we foster every day to ensure all our students are well-rounded young people,” said a school spokesperson.

The spokesperson further said, “This worksheet is not used in math but in the wider context of our history curriculum which follows the Historical Association’s recommendations on teaching historical slavery, and is in line with the Department for Education’s history curriculum which says students should be taught about the effects and eventual abolition of the slave trade.

“This means we absolutely teach students about the horrors of the slave trade, and the worksheet adapts primary sources of the time to illustrate the awful reality of slavery. We also include additional lessons on the horrors of the Middle Passage and life on plantations.”

While responding to the slave auction exercise, a Department for Education spokesman said, “It is inappropriate to engage in any exercise that appears to condone slavery. The national curriculum does not set any requirements for how teachers should teach individual subjects but schools should be professional in the choice of educational material they use.”

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