Equity in Education: Policy and Implementation – Examining Ontario's Anti-racism Education Guidelines and their Application in the Peel District School Board

Abstract

Changing demographics have challenged policy practitioners to implement diverse services and programs to meet the needs of urban populations. This is especially true in the area of equity in education in the Ontario public school system with regard to race and ethnicity. When reflecting on statistics that show that minority students, particularly those of African descent, are falling between the cracks, one wonders what policies and/or initiatives the Ontario Ministry of Education has put forth to positively affect years of negative trends. This article examines two areas of one such policy document, Antiracism and Ethnocultural Equity in School Boards: Guidelines for Policy Development and Implementation, and its effectiveness in implementing anti-racist and ethnoculturally equitable education in Ontario schools: the discretionary rather than mandated nature of the policy and the resources allotted for implementation.