This is an amazingly delicate decision. In a country that is familiar, if not comfortable, with gender-restricted schools, this opens a new focus of debate. Bringing memories of segregation in the United States, some view this move as a step backwards towards racism and segregation. Others see it as an opportunity-driven decision. Still others make comparisons to the Affirmative Action laws in the United States, for better or worse.
You can read more about the board's decision directly from their website.
Living in a country that doesn't have the racial history as our neighbours, I am not naive enough to think that racial tensions are non-existent. I can't help but think that this will only amplify those tensions in too many ways.
The following day, Ontario Premiere D. McGuinty came out opposing the decision, and the public fray that seems inevitable to me is heightened one more step.
There is no doubt that I acknowledge there must be something done about the 40% drop out rate of Toronto's black teens, but I'm not convinced this is the right way to go. I hope I'm proven wrong. I also hope this is not the only measure that is undertaken to attack this problem.
Education is a fundamental in our society. Education is meant to be inclusive, and I'm left to ponder how further discrimination of entry to a publicly-funded school can be inclusive. How can public money to a public educational system be used in a closed-entry system? Yes, I do realize there are other educational systems, some in my own province of Alberta, that are discriminatory. I'm not dismissing this as better or worse, but as adding to the issue that should be fixed, not accepted.
Then again, this is thinking out side the box. Kudos to the board for having the courage/guts to try something different, something risky, but I have absolutely no doubt that this was done with the best intentions for the students at heart. When I see judgments like this, posted in Jan 31st Edmonton Journal, it's easy to see what the first reactions may be. I will admit this was my first reaction as well, though maybe not quite to that extent. However, the big difference I see between Mr. Mayes cartoon (left) and the board's decision in the malice. I'm not saying that bad things can't come from good intentions, but maybe we need to think a little about this before jumping to judgment on their decision. After all, they have a difficult task - a big job in trying to rectify the drop-out rates.I would have enjoyed being in the Trustee's council room last night to listen to what must have been a fascinating discussion. If nothing else, it would have given me some insight into how they came to the decision they did, because for me, from the outside, I have ample concerns.
I have no doubt this will continue to make news in the weeks to come, leading up to the proposed September 2009 opening. Time will tell the impact of this decision.
2 comments:
In Alberta we have many schools that are segregated based on a number of factors. Many of these are publically funded, especially in Edmonton. We have First Nations schools, religious schools, language based schools, performing arts schools, academic schools, ballet and hockey schools... all designed with the best interests of students in mind. In a lot of ways they seem to be all for the good. What could be wrong with a school that is tailored to a child's interests, needs and background?
BUT...don't we learn from diversity? Because I grew up in a small town where there was one high school, I didn't have the options that kids have today. My own children have grown up in a similar environment. Maybe my eldest would have thrived in Old Scona, or my middle child experienced countless opportunities in a school dedicated to the fine arts. I don't know. What I do know is that my kids were able to learn French, take art and music and a full range of science in the context of a traditional public school. More importantly, my kids are friends with Chinese, Filipino, Lebanese, Native Canadian, autistic, Down syndrome, atheist, Christian and Islamic kids. They've attended classes with kids with a huge variety of talents and abilities and needs and socio-economic backgrounds.
I know I am looking at this from the perspective of the "dominant culture" in Canada. Perhaps if I were a member of a minority, I would have a different view. Certainly something needs to be done to help these students succeed.
It just seems to me that what has always made Canada great is how we have been able to weave the threads of many cultures into the fabric of our ever-changing society. For many of our kids, school is where they begin to find their own place in that tapestry. I would hate to see that taken away from them.
What is it that we want our schools to do? I think public education (minus the horror of the residential schools) in Canada has been about leveling the playing field and allowing newcomers to integrate into the mainstream in a relatively short amount of time. This has meant both economic mobility and person growth. Consider the fortunes of three generations of Ukrainians in Alberta compared to three generations of Algerians living in France. Radically different experiences, and I would suggest that our public schools had something to do with the success of the former.
I feel the key to this success is that the local community drives the education system. For better or worse, local control of local education provides students with the type of education they need to thrive in their environment. The black community in Toronto has identified a problem, and think they may have a way of dealing with it. If this is what the community wants, then the rest of us should support their decision to take a risk and try something new. Might work, might not. But we will never know if we do not try.
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