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
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.