ON announces changes to advance equity

The Government of Ontario has announced changes to the provincial education system that aim to break down barriers for Black, Indigenous, and racialized students. The changes include eliminating Grade 9 streaming, proposing the elimination of discretionary suspensions, strengthening sanctions for teachers who engage in racist behaviours, and providing teachers with anti-racism and anti-discrimination training. While the ON release did not reference it, the news comes after the circulation of a petition that called for changes to the provincial education system, most notably the development of a mandatory race and ethnicity high school course. The petition, created by Ryerson University Student Parnika Raj, stated that the current education system leaves students uneducated on issues like racism and cultural assimilation. “Without educating students on the full extent of the history of racism and cultural assimilation in the past, we are perpetuating a continual cycle of colonialism today,” stated the petition, which collected tens of thousands of signatures.  Nation Talk  | Narcity  (ON)