Under the new arrangement, Kingsley goes to his usual school, where he is loaded onto a bus and transported to another for those with learning disabilities. But as the film unfolds, we realize that “special” in this case is a code word for segregation: At the time in London’s Haringey borough, the council used data from childhood IQ tests to conclude that West Indian kids were “educationally sub-normal” vis-à-vis their white classmates and set up special schools to accommodate them - a systemic mechanism to filter these immigrants out of the general population and forget about them. She has trouble dealing with her son as well. Kingsley would benefit from one-on-one instruction, and his mother, Agnes (Sharlene Whyte), thinks it’s a good idea. They anticipate that some viewers will instinctively try to erase the racism of the situation, presenting Kingsley as a slightly disruptive kid with a serious problem: He can’t read. McQueen and co-writer Alastair Siddons are clever in their approach. When Kingsley acts up, the teacher sends him to the headmaster, who recommends to Kingsley’s parents that they send him to a “special” school, one better equipped to deal with his unique needs. Set in the 1970s, this 63-minute film focuses on a 12-year-old, Kingsley (Kenyah Sandy), who appears “normal” enough to our eyes, but is singled out by the administration as inferior to his classmates.
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