Ending ‘streaming’ is only the first step to dismantling systemic racism in Ontario schools
Ending ‘streaming’ is only the first step to dismantling systemic racism in Ontario schools
By Carl James
Professor, Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community & Diaspora, York University, Canada
Last week, the Ontario government announced its plan to end streaming in Grade 9, something Education Minister Stephen Lecce acknowledged is a “racist, discriminatory” practice.
Streaming refers to the practice of placing students into educational programs — academic, “applied” and locally developed. These placements usually take place after Grade 8. They are often based on teacher and guidance counsellor recommendations. For Black students, low expectations and assumptions about their academic abilities and potential, direct them away from “academic” programs, which often lead to university.
Lecce promised to end the longstanding practice of streaming, which impacts Black, low-income and Indigenous students disproportionately. The province notes that students “enrolled in applied-level courses have multiple negative outcomes and limited opportunities for post-secondary advancement.”
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