TORONTO – Ontario’s education minister has issued more than two dozen directives to the Peel District School Board following a review of the board looking at anti-black racism.
Stephen Lecce has asked the board to regularly report on equity, conduct a diversity audit, develop a learning plan for senior staff on equity and anti-black racism, track race-based data on suspensions and consider apologizing to the black community.
The third-party review found that black students are only 10.2 per cent of the secondary school population, but about 22.5 per cent of the students receiving suspensions.
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The reviewers heard anecdotally that some principals “use any excuse” to suspend black students, including wearing hoodies or hoop earrings.
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Recent school board data shows that about 83 per cent of secondary school students in the board are racialized, and the reviewers say about two-thirds of teachers in the board are white.
Lecce says accounts of systemic racism and discrimination in the report are “deeply troubling and will not be tolerated.”
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