SFU EDUC 382: DIVERSITY IN EDUCATION: THEORIES, POLICIES, PRACTICES: W2016 (original) (raw)

The Other Canadian `Mosaic’: `race’ equity education in Ontario and British Columbia

While the in¯ uence of multicultural and anti-racist education has declined signi® cantly in England and Wales since the late 1980s (as a result of the continuing impact of New Right thinking on education policy), this has not occurred in other countries. For example, in Canada successive federal administrationsÐ irrespective of political hueÐ have remained ® rmly committed to Pierre Trudeau’ s (1971) pluralistic notion of the Canadian `mosaic’ and continued to endorse educational and social policies to promote `race’ and ethnic equality. Despite this, regional devolution has ensured that the responses to these federal initiatives at the provincial level have been varied and that developments in practice have been uneven. In this paper, we draw upon ethnographic data in an attempt to provide a sociological account of these regional differences. Focusing on the perspectives of a sample of 42 `active players’ in the ® eld of race equity education (i.e. teachers and youth workers, academics, university administrators, school board of® cials, equity of® cers, provincial government of® cials, consultants, grass-roots activists and representatives of various pressure groups), we compare and contrast the developments in theory, policy and practice in two Canadian provinces: Ontario and British Columbia. Throughout the paper, we underline the importance of grounded research, focusing on the part played by local political and historical conditions in both shaping and modifying the articulation and effects of federal policy.

The “Equity Waltz” in Canada: Whiteness and the informal realities of racism in education

Canada has long perceived itself to be a country in which multiculturalism, and a concomitant respect for diversity, is a unique and defining feature of its identity. Although Canada is a de facto multicultural country, owing to its rapidly evolving demography and the explicit notion of multiculturalism enshrined in its Constitution, there remains a plethora of problems and issues related to equity, diversity and human rights. This paper explores the context and impact of racism in education within a framework that acknowledges and critically positions the predominance of Whiteness. The salience of identity, therefore, is a primary consideration to understanding how marginalized groups face systemic barriers in education. The concluding analysis sheds light on the educational policy process, and focuses on the notion of accountability for anti-racism and social justice in education within a time of neoliberal reforms. The paper is critical of the lack of attention, resources and comprehensive plans in place to ensure that all students benefit from a more holistic education that includes a focus on social justice.

Black Racism in Canada Full.doc

Black Canadians represent approximately 3% of the entire Canadian population. However, this segment of the society comprises of at least 10% of the prison numbers in the country signaling a high level of social equality. Further, such injustices as unnecessary disturbances by police forces in a system identified as carding. In such instances, they face about 10 times more harassment than white Canadians. Black students in all cadres of the education system encounter suspensions in higher rates than their peers. In perspectives, while black students represent about 8% of the entire pupil numbers, they are exposed to a suspension status of 22%

Dismantling Barriers to Anti-Racist Education

BU Journal of Graduate Studies in Education, 2021

Teachers desiring to address inequity within education must acknowledge the inconsistencies experienced by students who belong to historically marginalized or oppressed communities. Antiracist education addresses conventions rooted in systemic or structural racism, colourblindness, and implicit bias, creating an environment that facilitates equity in education for all students regardless of race, ethnicity, or culture. Anti-racist education acknowledges the inequalities experienced by people who do not implicitly benefit from current world systems, purposing to bridge that gap. This includes people who have been historically oppressed or marginalized because of race, ethnicity, or culture. In order to facilitate antiracist education, teachers must be willing to accept that some of the significant traditions historically synonymous with education and simple existence, such as systemic and structural racism, colourblindness, and implicit bias, must be challenged in order to facilitate equitable education for all. Systemic and Structural Racism History is typically told from the perspective of the victor, and the current education system follows that same pattern. Eurocentric ideologies at the centre of educational frameworks determining students' learning at all levels (Abdulle et al., 2017) fail to account for all other racial and cultural ideologies represented in the society that same framework is presumed to serve. Forest et al. (2016) identified this conduct and its suggested application within educational systems as a barrier to educational achievement for racialized students. The omission of non-Eurocentric ideologies within educational frameworks sends the message that other cultural perspectives are not important. Canada's continued identity as a multicultural nation is threatened when protected by educational policies that do not address the uncomfortable side of race and culture. Educational frameworks celebrating cultural diversity without addressing the realities of racial inequality are only superficial policies (George et al., 2020. These realities include the disproportionate number of racialized students who are labelled "at risk" or classified as and moved into special education centres without appropriate evaluations. Adjei (2018) referred to this "institutional disregard" as a way that policies, practices, and politics of the system are structured, failing racialized people by leaving them helpless within their own communities and rendering them as intruders in these environments (pp. 4-5). Students who experience this institutional disregard will inevitably believe that they have been betrayed and, in that context of distrust, will struggle to experience success. Addressing issues rooted in history and tradition is a challenge. The educational system has always been an important key to growth and change, but on further review presents its own obstacles in facilitating growth and change for all people. George et al. (2020) highlighted that official school curricula "mutes, distorts, omits, and stereotypes the perspectives of racialized [people]" (p. 3), additionally suggesting teaching methodologies that are "individualistic, colourblind, and race-neutral" (p. 3). In a society that is so racially and culturally diverse and relies heavily on a strong educational system to guide and enlighten all minds, curricula should reflect the societies they serve. Data are used as a significant instrument to measure success in schools. Carter et al. (2017) encouraged having conversations with students in order to determine whose needs are being met and whose needs are not, because examining schools' habits surrounding the practices implemented within schools is crucial, and then using the data to inform teachers of the disparities found between