Subnormal: The scandal of black children sent to special schools bbc.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bbc.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Last modified on Thu 13 May 2021 17.20 EDT
Film-maker Steve McQueen says racism which resulted in a disproportionate number of black pupils being sent to schools for the so-called âeducationally subnormal (ESN)â in the 1960s and 70s continues to disadvantage black pupils in England today.
McQueen is the executive producer behind a new documentary to be broadcast on BBC One next week, which describes the devastating impact of now-defunct ESN schools on those who were sent there as children and tells the story of how black parents, educators and activists exposed the scandal.
In an interview with the Guardian, McQueen, 51, paid tribute to those who fought to change the system and as a result improved the life chances of those who followed, including himself.