"Set A Price For A Slave,” Elementary School Teacher Asks Students In US

A school teacher in the United States was sent on leave after making a culturally insensitive remark over slavery. She did so in a question paper for class 5 where she asked the students to “set a price for a slave.”

According to The Washington Examiner, the students of Blades Elementary School in St. Louis were asked a question during an assignment on the prices of commodities in colonial America.

The question read, “You own a plantation or farm and therefore need more workers. You begin to get involved in the slave trade industry and have slaves work on your farm. Your product to trade is slaves.”

Parents of the students were angry over this insensitive question and complained to the school authorities. One of them took to social media to express his anger over it.

The teacher has been now sent on leave. The school principal, Jeremy Booker, informed the publication that he has sent an apology letter to the parents on behalf of the teacher who made such a remark.

“I appreciate the parents who notified me of the assignment. I met with the teacher this morning to discuss the purpose of the assignment, the teacher’s interpretation of curriculum standard, and the impact the activity could have on students,” Booker told the publication.

John Bowman, president of the National Association for the Advancement Of Coloured People (NAACP)’s St. Louis chapter, condemned the school and asked for a meeting with the district officials.

He said, “The position of the NAACP is we need a public apology.” He also added that there is a need for training the public about serious and immediate bias, cultural bias and cultural differences.

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