The rise of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian racism is playing out in Ontario schools, widely influenced by broader geopolitical and social issues.

Although , schools are  .

While we acknowledge that  and intersect to produce racial discrimination and violence, such as surveillance and censorship.

We recently engaged in  with people who are studying and practising to become teachers (pre-service teachers). We were interested in how prepared they are to challenge anti-Muslim bias and anti-Palestinian racism in Ontario schools.

We did this through interviews with 32 teacher candidates across Ontario. We focused on pre-service teacher perspectives so we could gauge current issues and gaps in teacher education programs.

The findings of our study, which documented gendered Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism in Ontario schools, points to the need for systemic changes in the province’s schools to better reflect the cultural and religious diversity in these spaces.

Read the full story in T.

Article co-authored by Faculty of Education Assistant Professor

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Occurring in tandem with the COVID-19 pandemic, another crisis was quietly escalating and unnoticed by many — characterized by an overload of information, much of it misleading or false. Though concerns of an infodemic started before this time, and can occur with any issue or event, the phenomenon has become so widespread that the term was included into Merriam-Webster’s 2020 list of “.”

Indeed, since the onset of COVID-19, the public has been exposed to an overwhelming amount of information, often contradictory, about the virus, basic health and safety protocols, efficiency of vaccines, conspiracy theories and exaggerated sensationalist news clips.

Amid this chaos, a common stereotype emerged, painting older adults as in the infodemic. This narrative, however, does not recognize the complexity of the issue and unjustly labels a group that, in reality, can demonstrate a remarkable desire to be engaged in navigating the media landscape.

As we progress through the , a global initiative aiming to improve the lives of older people and their communities, we are prompted to reevaluate our perspectives on media literacy practices of older adults.

Natalia Balyasnikova, an assistant professor of Adult Education at �첥��Ƶ, writes about an infodemic characterized by an overload of information, much of it misleading or false, which was quietly escalating in tandem with the COVID-19 pandemic. A common stereotype emerged, painting older adults as primary actors for the spread of misinformation online in the infodemic. "We need to combat the agist stereotype that older adults are simply victims of the infodemic or passive consumers of digital media," said Balyasnikova and co-author.

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A study of more than 155,000 students in the Toronto District School Board found only 55 per cent of students who self-identify as Black are applying to post-secondary education.

Many high school students are now choosing their courses for the coming year.

The choices students make in grades 10 and 11 will have a significant impact on their lives after graduation. But students, families — and even educators — have little information about the outcomes associated with different course types.

Our research drew on data from 10 cohorts of Toronto District School Board students to track their progress for five years from the start of Grade 9.

We found a strong association between students completing at least one Grade 12 “U” (university) course by the end of high school and applying for any post-secondary education (not only university, but also college). We also found differences across race and disability in terms of which students are taking “U” courses and which aren’t.

These findings are especially important for students, families and guidance counsellors at this time of year as youth are choosing courses.

Read the full article co-authored by Carl E. James (Professor, Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community & Diaspora, �첥��Ƶ), Gillian Parekh (Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Inclusion, Disability and Education, �첥��Ƶ), and their colleagues, on .

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A study saw racialized students in Ontario French immersion programs write monologues and stories about their experiences, and also invited immersion stakeholders like teachers and parents to give feedback on race and racism in Ontario immersion programs.

continue about the successes and challenges with French immersion programs across English-speaking parts of Canada.

Programs are criticized for being elitist by some and praised for being exceptional by others.

My master’s research , finding that program locations favoured middle-class students, curricula demonstrated a Eurocentric focus and colonial lens and program entry-points favoured established residents over newcomers.

My PhD work research has relied upon a collective creation research method known to propose ways French immersion programs can be more culturally responsive and anti-racist.

Read the full article written by �첥��Ƶ Faculty of Education Phd candidate Marika Kunnas on

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Cristina De Simone, a Ph.D. student in Mathematics Education at �첥��Ƶ, Canada, and Tori Trajanovski, a Ph.D. student in Education at �첥��Ƶ, write about teachers who are now moving beyond traditional ways of teaching math and shifting towards evidence-based equitable teaching and assessment practices.

Families might be wondering why in school.

Why aren’t teachers putting students on the spot and getting them to prove that they know the math? Why are teachers letting students solve problems in lots of different ways instead of just telling them how to do it?

Teachers are moving beyond and shifting towards more evidence-based equitable teaching and assessment practices. This means every student is provided with what they need as opposed to being provided with the exact same resources and assessment practices.

For example, instead of giving all students in the classroom the exact same test, a student with test anxiety will be given an alternative format to showcase their learning.

Read the in .

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The number of international students in Canada has over the last decade, contributing approximately , and an estimated in annual revenues to Canadian universities.

Pegged by the federal government as a key source of talent for the growth and sustenance of the Canadian economy, international students are sought to relieve our national demographic imbalance created by an .

�䲹�Բ��岹’s also seeks international students to address our skilled labour shortages.

The question, however, is not whether international students are needed, but rather if they are valued.

Read the full article written by PhD candidate Isaac Garcia-Sitton on .

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Housing affordability and homelessness are hot topics in municipal politics these days. But ironically, unhoused citizens are left out of the civic debate that most impacts their lives.

As Ontario approaches municipal elections in October, our concept of “the public” is needed to remind us of our commitment not only to the  but to one another.

Toronto City Council has engaged in several heated debates this year ,   in the city. The same is true in many Canadian cities.

What comes up, again and again, are comments about “citizens” or “residents” of our cities. Much of the time, councillors, media pundits and journalists use these words to refer to people with adequate housing. Emergency shelter-hotels were unfair to  Encampments disrupt the lives of 

In a speech given during one of these debates in April 2022, Toronto Coun. Shelley Carroll asked the question: “Who is the public?”

Read the full article authored by �첥��Ƶ Graduate Program in Education Ph.D. candidate Timothy Martin in .

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Critical race theory has a lot of people upset. In the United States, some parents are calling for schools to ban critical race theory. They claim it distorts reality and invokes shame for white students.

This is not a new battle in the U.S. or Canada (remember when Prime Minister Harper said “?” or when President Trump chastised ?). But it has picked up steam recently. Since January 2021,  and 17 states have given in to these demands.

But critical race theory is not an abstract concept — it is actually simply a reflection of us: of our unequal laws and systems already in place. It points out the history of our society and its ongoing inequalities. And asks us to look at issues as systemic instead of as individual problems.

Today we explore how applying critical race theory in classrooms across Canada helps both students and teachers.

Listen to the full podcast with guest, Ph.D. student Dwayne Brown (Faculty of Education, �첥��Ƶ) in .

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Some parents have been raising concerns about the teaching of critical race theory in public schools in the United States. Recently, these specious claims have been showing up in Canada too. School boards are being questioned for their anti-racism policies and the teaching of CRT to students.

 recently published a story that detailed how Waterloo Region District School Board trustees in Ontario were told by some parents they were concerned their children could “internalize shame and guilt because they’re white.”

A school delegation called “for more transparency about what’s being taught in classrooms on critical race theory and white privilege” and asked education staff to provide a working definition of the terms in relation to “anti-racist lesson plans.”

And last month,  on Durham Catholic School Board’s “new anti-racism policy” reported that trustees and members of the public had concerns about language such as “white supremacy” and “colonialism.”

The language, they said, “reflected ‘critical race theory,’ an academic concept that contends racism — whether intentional or not — is systemic and embedded in institutions.” The Star reported that this language was removed from the new policy.

Read the full article written by Carl E. James, Professor and Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community & Diaspora (Faculty of Education, �첥��Ƶ) and Vidya Shah, Assistant Professor (Faculty of Education) in .

Listen to the full podcast, discussing the injustices and inequalities in the education system with guest Carl E. James, Professor and Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community & Diaspora (Faculty of Education, �첥��Ƶ) on .

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A woman and son arrive at the border crossing between Ukraine and Poland. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)

All war is always war on children. As a vulnerable population, children’s lives are at the mercy of the adult community. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has threatened children’s lives and severed them from their everyday lives. Overnight, their lives have become unimaginable.

In times of social and political conflict, children are overlooked, positioned either as bystanders or victims. Despite their front-line experience of wartime events, children’s voices are barely heard. And too often, children are often the to account for what happened to their parents, communities and homelands.

"For the past 20 years, , in particular, those affected by war, forced migration and mass degradation", says Associate Professor Aparna Mishra-Tarc.

"Mostly, the narratives of children who experience war and political and social violence are undocumented . With the rise of social media, however, I detect a noticeable shift: a global forum for children’s testimony is fast emerging."

Read the full article by Aparna Mishra Tarc in .

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