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Pupils lined up by colour for photograph
Katharine Barney, Evening Standard23.10.07
Children were left in tears after they were separated according to their skin colour for school photos.
More than 100 boys and girls aged from seven to 11 were lined up from the fairest skinned to the darkest.
But the segregation left several of the pupil so upset they cried to their parents when they got home.
One angry mum said: "My 10-year-old was told to go further back in the line as she was not white enough. She came home devastated saying, 'I wish my skin was lighter mummy.'"
Another parent, Ann Andrew, 49, said her daughter, Angela, 10, came home in tears and said: "My school's so racist."
Dozens of parents have complained to Sandhurst Junior School in Lewisham.
Headteacher Val Hughes said pupils had been divided up according to skin tone but claimed it was to make it easier for the photographer.
In a letter to Mrs Andrews she said: "Some classes were organised lightest to darkest skin tone and some darkest to lightest. This meant the photographer did not have to keep readjusting his reflector screens."
Parents are planning to protest to Lewisham Council.
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Reader views (15)
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As a pro photographer I'd have to say that the guy had the right idea, but went about it in the wrong way. To be fair, you do need to use different reflectors and varying positions of lights for different colours of skin. I don't believe it's racist to try to take the best possible photo, is it?
- Matt, Chesterfield
If this was a professional photographer he/she would not have to do this as I have photos from school as young as 4years old in nursery, in an almost all white school and in those days digital cameras didn't exist and NOT even the lighting had to be adjusted for me and/or my friends. No-one would stand for this in a place of work so why should it be allowed in our schools.
- Katrina, Lambeth, London
We don't know the circumstances of the day, the pressure to finish on time, etc. Not an ideal situation, but also not a crime. We are different, and recognizing that in it of itself is not a bad thing. There was no discrimination here, only a tangible recognition of our differences.
- The Swede, Oxford, UK
