A private school that asked fourth graders to list three good reasons for slavery and three bad ones has apologised to parents after the mother of a black student posted the assignment on Facebook.

Trameka Brown-Berry posted a picture of the assignment - from Our Redeemer Lutheran School in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin - after seeing her nine-year-old son struggling to answer the question. She compared the question to asking someone to list three good reasons for rape or the Holocaust.

The school thanked Ms Brown-Berry for bringing the matter to their attention. Officials said the homework was not intended to make students argue there are any good reasons for slavery, but admitted to parents in a letter that the assignment was offensive and "showed a lack of sensitivity".

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