Nia Imara first got involved with supplementary education for children of Afrikan heritage

back in 1992 at the age of 24 after hearing an request for assistance for the Nubia Foundation

Saturday School which was based at the New initiatives Community Centre in Stockwell,

South London, on a community radio station.

Nia was coming into a new form of consciousness where he wanted answers to the many

questions that were posed in his life and to make a difference to the next generation. While

he had weekends free in his catering career the intention was to help young children achieve

higher standards in education and also to relearn mathematics, but the added bonus was 

learning substantial amounts of Afrikan history that was completely ignored in his education 

in mainstream schools and also at home. Nia witnessed children who had been excluded from 

mainstream schools and deemed “uneducatable”, excel in all areas with voluntary teaching 

staff who were not all qualified teachers. 

Nia vowed that when he eventually had children that they too would attend a Black 

supplementary school to make sure they had a better start to their education and have a 

better self confidence due to an early induction to their historical and current heritage.

His first child attended the same Black supplementary school, Nubia Foundation, that he

had previously volunteered in 8 years previously when his daughter turned 4 years old. Nia 

witnessed his daughter learn to write her name in hieroglyphics and learn algebra. When his 

daughter eventually started mainstream school at the age of 5 she was able to educate her 

own teacher and her classmates about hieroglyphics during a trip to the British Museum. Nia 

also witnessed the schools refusal to even attempt algebra as they deemed children of that age 

incapable of learning such mathematics. 

As Nia’s daughter and son progressed through their education in mainstream and weekend 

supplementary education, their learning ages were accessed as being 18 months ahead of their 

classmates. 

Nia became a single parent since his son was 7 months old and his first daughter was 3 years 

old but still insisted that they attend weekend supplementary education. 

NABSS first went online with a directory in 2007 and then the latest website was launched 

in June 2008 with further educational resources which include an events calendar, home 

education information, news, workshop directory and much more. 

The first NABSS National Conference was launched at the Hackney Museum in June 2009 

in conjunction with Black and Other UK Home Educators. The following year the event turned into the National Black Supplementary Schools Week and has continued every year since bringing in other individuals and organisations that are involved with the education of 

Black children and their families.
For 2014 the event  is themed on Health, Nutrition and Medicine during August.


Nia is in demand in the media to comment on cultural and educational issues on both radio 

and TV and is also invited to contribute to both public and private events. 

Nia is also involved with applying for a Free school license with the Ma’at School of 

Excellence, in North West London, The Black Identity Zone at Harlesden Library, the Nzinga 

Lecture series with Black History Walks, the committees for the National Black People’s Day 

of Action, the Interim National Afrikan People’s Parliament, the Afrikan Cooperative Union,  the Sister’s Health Forum and a few other organisations while also 

being a parent governor at his children’s school. 

NABSS can be contacted at www.nabss.org.uk or emailed at info@nabss.org.uk