With Good Reason

While there are definitely some Toronto parents and public school supporters who agree with the notion of an Africentric program from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12, the speed at which Toronto District School Board (TDSB) trustees and members of its “advisory panel” are putting forward and approving proposals is clearly political. 

For example, today’s Toronto Star editorial comment states:

“Bureaucrats at the Toronto public school board have barely begun the effort of launching an Africentric elementary school this coming fall. But now some trustees are calling for an Africentric high school to open just one year later.”

So, however well intentioned, some TDSB trustees are making recommendations for an Africentric high school without adequate “action research” and feedback on the pilot elementary program slated for Sheppard Public School in September of this year.  As such, in their unseemly haste, the needs of the students seem to have been forgotten or minimized.

Moreover, since the pilot project at Sheppard is to be a JK - Grade 5 “school within a school,” what has happened to the intermediate Grades 6 - 8?  Are students aged 11 to 13 supposed to be included with the high school aged youth? That would be a big mistake and a recipe for bullying.

Which begs the question: Why are some TDSB trustees now considering approving an Africentric high school to open only one year after the JK to Grade 5 pilot project begins when: (1) they don’t yet know the outcome of the pilot project; and (2) no one has mentioned what will happen to the students in the intermediate Grades 6 - 8?

While I am in favour of the notion of school choice – in terms of meeting the needs of students – I am not in favour of funding programs that have not been ascertained to be effective. As well, I am also not in favour of program decisions that are purely political.  The TDSB trustees and advisory board need to slow down, take a deep breath and find out what works and what doesn’t.

For example, if it turns out that students do not benefit from a segregated environment (which I clearly stated was my opinion when the decision was initially made), parents and trustees must have the freedom to state their case. We do not want it to become the equivalent of the global warming debate where some are called “deniers” simply because they disagree.

However, if the program is proven to be effective and students do benefit, TDSB trustees should then, and only then, proceed if that is what the parents want.

C/P at Crux-of-the-Matter.