Toronto schools, at the junior and senior levels, are fraught with problems. Indeed, it is now common practice for many of us to distinguish between the so-called inner city and those schools located in the more affluent areas of Canada’s largest metropolitan area.

Such a distinction is not made by accident. Elementary and high schools in some areas of Toronto where the tax base is higher tend to be more student-friendly. This means that such educational institutions have teachers who may not be burned out and sometimes-vigilant parents who may be more in tune with their children’s academic progress.

We should not forget the laws that underscored discrimination in the Ontario education system, which remained on the books into the 1960s. Ironically, segregation in education was in part lessened by the efforts of members of the Black Education Project. They worked vigilantly with the Toronto Board of Education in the late 1960s and 1970s to ensure that the dream of equity in education could be achieved for all Ontario students. However, those gains now seem to be slipping again as inequality in Ontario’s education system has become more pronounced.

The current trend is a move away from equity in education toward a system that seems to be based on where one lives in Toronto. Geography and economic background are important indices in determining the quality of education. Additionally, for those students who are of a certain background, Portuguese and Black for example, real educational opportunities are located beyond the pale.

In the inner city areas many schools experience a daily absentee rate in excess of 20 per cent. It is an occurrence that is usually beyond the control of the teachers and respective school administrators. However, if asked, some of them would indicate that inner city students face a growing number of problems, including the pressure of having to buy their own clothes (which sometimes mean not being able to match their peers’ ability to wear the right clothes); and the need to feed and support themselves, (meaning being able to buy lunch and supplies for school). And increasingly, because of a lack of in-house school resources, the ability to purchase support and reference materials for classroom projects.

It is not easy to be a student in the Toronto inner city. In many cases, it is not easy to be an educator either. Unfortunately, teaching, like the nursing profession, is under attack by some Ontario politicians. But, as we know, a society cannot function without an effective education system.

What is to happen to our students and teachers is anybody’s guess. Within the last four years significant numbers of teachers have left the profession. We are also aware that the shortage of supply teachers has caused the Toronto Board to rely on a pool of parents to make up the shortfall in its classrooms.

Gone are the days, though poorly paid, teachers like librarians and daycare workers were seen as the backbone of our society.

Unfortunately, the most vulnerable suffer. Which means many Black children and their parents. But to sit on our hands and do nothing is criminal. Many teachers and education administrators long to hear from Black parents. They are looking for an opportunity to address the problems our children currently experience. They long for support in their quest to limit class size, and ensure a better quality education for all children in Ontario.

It is an opportunity that should not be passed up. The time to act is now before the school year ends. Call your child’s principal or teacher. Seek an interview. Discover what you can do to improve his/her school environment. Volunteer for education and extra curricular committees. Get involved. For without an education many Black children will continue to grow up and assume a role as second class citizens in Canada.

Remember, a life is a terrible thing to waste.

Courtesy of Share News Online Edition
Issue 48 - March 8, 2001

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