Open petition: Set up an independent inquiry into West Indian children placed in ESN schools

Created by Maisie Ellena Barrett
Closes on 24 September 2026

We want the Government to commission an independent inquiry into the unfair placement of West Indian children into Educationally Sub Normal (ESN) schools from the 1950s to the early 1970s. This inquiry should closely examine assessment practices, institutional biases, and local authority decisions.

Research shows that many children were mis-assessed, misunderstood, or discriminated against, leading to significant negative effects on their education, employment, and overall well-being that persist from the 1950s until 2026. We believe more research is required to understand why this happened to intelligent Black children back then to understand why Black children are more likely to be labelled with special educational needs today, setting the groundwork for acknowledgment, healing, and reparative actions.

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