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Toronto School Principal Under Fire for Compiling List of Black Students to Monitor Achievement Gaps

  • Canada's  flag flies in front of the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, March 22, 2017

    Canada's flag flies in front of the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, March 22, 2017 | Photo: Reuters

Published 27 June 2018
Opinion

The Toronto District  School Board, TDSB, has said a human-rights investigation is underway, the Globe and Mail reported. 

A school principal at a Toronto school has been accused of racial profiling and has come under fire for compiling a list of black students and sharing it with teachers to track opportunity and achievement gaps, the Globe and Mail reported Monday. 

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Peggy Aitchison, the principal of the Etobicoke School of the Arts, ESA, shared the list with the teaching staff during November meeting.   

Earlier this month, in an email to the parents, Aitchison admitted to sharing the list and apologized, stating that it was a "was a limited, flawed and ultimately inappropriate approach to identifying gaps in supports and so, that very same day, I retracted that compilation that was based solely on perceptions." 

The Toronto District  School Board, TDSB, has said a human-rights investigation is underway, the Globe and Mail reported. 

Located in Toronto’s west end, ESA is deemed to be one of Canada’s oldest arts-focused schools, and difficult to get into. 

Noah who was on the list is graduating from the school this year and is also a  member of ESA’s black history committee and learned about the list.  

"Personally, I felt as if the self-perception of my racial identity was both overlooked and exploited. It’s racist and extremely offensive to associate a student’s academic growth along with the melanin in their skin. I want the Toronto District School Board to understand the importance of looking at students as individuals, rather than categorizing their levels of intelligence into falsely-racialized groups," Noah said, according to the Globe and Mail.  

John Malloy, the board’s director of education, also issued an official apology saying it was "mistake" made by a principal that "hurt" students and their families, and "the principal and the TDSB apologizes for this."  

"In the TDSB, we are working with every school community to confront racism and all forms of discrimination. This is important and challenging work," Malloy said.

"While [the incident at ESA] should never have happened, we will continue this significant work of challenging our bias, removing barriers and creating equitable and inclusive schools for all." 

Some students who came to learn about the list called a meeting with the parents, staff, and students. 

George Brown, Noah's parent also expressed concern over the issue. Brown said he was angered and frustrated at the finding, according to the Globe and Mail. 

"It’s unfortunate that this is an institution of learning and these are some of the lessons that are being taught," Brown said. "We need the board to look at its processes. We need it to look at all of its schools to make sure that this doesn’t happen again." 

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