April 16, 2025 Story by: Editor
A new report from the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) titled “Dreams Delayed: Addressing Systemic Anti-Black Racism and Discrimination in Ontario’s Public Education System” highlights urgent concerns about the experiences of Black students and educators in schools across the province.
Developed in collaboration with Black students and educators, the report focuses on four key themes: accountability, transparency, student well-being, and monitoring and evaluation.
The report identifies a crisis of anti-Black racism in Ontario schools, citing evidence from those consulted, including accounts of racial slurs, the marginalization of Black students, and the exclusion of Black educators from mentorship and professional networks.
“We know that racism and discrimination is traumatic, extremely painful and destructive,” OHRC Chief Commissioner Patricia DeGuire said during a press conference on Thursday.
Calling for immediate action, DeGuire added, “The commission calls on all duty holders in Ontario’s education system to perform their responsibility and legal duties… to improve outcomes for Black students, Black educators so they can learn and teach in a school environment free from discrimination and harassment.”
The report outlines 29 calls to action aimed at both school boards and the Ministry of Education. Many of these are designated as urgent and should be implemented within one to two years. These recommendations include the creation of an anti-Black discrimination framework, development of a Black-affirming and empowering curriculum, and inclusive guidance counseling for students.
Intermediate actions, to be implemented within three to five years, were also laid out. Among them is a recommendation that school boards establish human rights offices in every school. These offices would be responsible for responding to incidents of discrimination and ensuring accountability from principals and board directors regarding human rights violations.
In response to the report, the Ontario Teachers’ Federation (OTF), along with the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association and several affiliates, released a joint statement welcoming the findings and supporting the proposed actions.
“OTF and its Affiliates recognize that the ubiquitous nature of anti-Black racism must be collectively identified and rooted out by all actors throughout education,” the statement said.
The statement further committed the organizations to ongoing efforts “to better understand anti-Black racism and what they can do to identify, address, and eliminate anti-Black racism in education.”
Emphasizing the need for widespread collaboration, DeGuire concluded, “This is a collective work,” stressing that all levels of the education system and government must be actively involved.
Source: Now Toronto
