By Cheyenne Raine
Generations of Black-Canadians have been systemically oppressed in the Ontario education system. It was not until 2020 the city council and the provincial government decided to take a good look into the racism that takes place in schools, and the role adults play in coercing Black children out of the chance to pursue higher education.
Ontario - the most populated province in the country is home to the one of the most multi-cultural cities in the world. Yet, Ontario had the only school system in Canada that used the outdated streaming system for students entering Grade 9.
The Black community in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) have faced oppression, whether in education or in the workforce. There have been numerous reports that focused on the systemic racism in the Toronto District School Board and other school boards across the GTA. One of those studies, which was conducted by York UniversityProfessor Carl James, found that only 53 per cent of Black students were enrolled in academic level classes, compared to 81 per cent of white students and 80 per cent of other students of colour.
The report also found that when it comes to applied classes, Black students held the highest percentages. They were twice as likely to be enrolled in applied classes and also more likely to be suspended from a young age. There is a system in place, which allows students to change from applied to academic in the middle of their high school years, but requires additional work or classes and are not available at every school in the city. Taking additional courses to change academic streams, would also take additional time before or after school or the form of an extra year in high school, which many students would not see as a viable option.
Stephen Lecce pushing for an investigation and report of the Peel District School board has been decades in the making, and the report released information that Black parents and students have been concerned about for years. The recent overhaul of the Peel District School Board has also given many parents hope that their children will finally get a fighting chance. The firing of the Peel Education Director Peter Joshua is a direct approach of fixing systemic racism donned by those who are in the positions of power, and is also a public way of showing the systemic issues will no longer be tolerated.
After the firing of the Peel Interim Director of Education, the province appointed a new Black female director, Colleen Russell-Rawlins. For the first time in Ontario, the province will have three Black women holding the position of Education Director in three different school boards - Carlene Jackson (TDSB), and Camille Williams (Ottawa-Carleton District School Board).
The acknowledgment of the systemic issue in the educational system, and the historic change made by Education Minister Stephen Lecce, will not magically fix the education system in the province, but it will give the younger generation of Black children a better chance at creating a successful future for themselves. The positive outcome of these changes will be seen as the new school year begins with the streaming changes implemented.