Toronto students take to the streets to protest proposed program changes
From admission criteria to areas of specialization – it's a major overhaul of the educational programs offered by the Toronto District School Board.
The goal of the policy change is to remove barriers to access and improve the quality of the programs, but many students fear it will do exactly the opposite.
"The TDSB is doing a whole overhaul of the specialized arts programs in an attempt to make it more equitable," said James Knechtel, a Grade 11 film major in the Claude Watson arts program at Earl Haig Secondary School. "But in reality, they're worsening the quality of education and it's not improving the equity at all."
The planned changes include how students will be evaluated for admission, eliminating auditions, and instead, focusing on a student's demonstrated interest or passion in a field of study.
"Pieces of paper don't show passion," Cali Martin told CTV News Toronto. The Grade 11 dance major said, "From that, you get kids that are just joining the program because why not and kids who don't truly care about the arts."
There are also changes being proposed to the programs themselves, including a more general approach to arts education when students first enter the program and changes to where students can apply.
"You're only able to apply to one school in your area," said Knechtel. "And if there's a school in your area then you're not allowed to go anywhere else, which is just perpetuating inequity and keeping people in their area."
Knechtel was among hundreds of students who walked out of class on Monday afternoon, and held a loud protest outside the TDSB head office on Yonge Street. The students were calling on the board to reconsider the proposed changes.
"We want them to invest in improving the quality of arts education in middle and elementary schools across the city and especially focus on parts of the city that need it more. We totally acknowledge that there's a need for equity but this is not going to do it," Knechtel said.
"People are starting from different places" said Craft-Holloway. "We're all trying to get to the same finish line, we're all starting from different places so giving everyone the same opportunity the same chance is definitely not the right way to do this."
In a statement to CTV News Toronto, the school board said: " The TDSB offers nearly 40 specialized schools and programs. While these specialized programs have provided outstanding opportunities for some students, barriers to access including admission processes, entrance criteria and geography, have limited these opportunities for a significant number of students. Through this new policy, all students will have greater access to these programs - a number of which already have an open admissions process.”
The new policy will go before trustees at their meeting on May 25.
Many students, like Craft-Holloway worry that if the changes are approved, they will in fact do the opposite of what they're intended.
"We definitely want to acknowledge that there is a lot that we need to change and there is a lot that we need to fix in the TDSB but this is taking away opportunities for people, not making more."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Suspect sought after fatal slashing in downtown Toronto
Police are searching for a suspect in a homicide investigation after a man was slashed in downtown Toronto on Sunday.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Mother's Day movies that pull at ALL the heartstrings
This Mother's Day Weekend, take a look at some of the most emotional movies inspired by moms.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.