DEI Permanently Inscribed at the Toronto District School Board

"The introduction of a mandatory certification on equity, diversity and anti-racism for all K-12 teachers in Ontario would ensure that teachers are better equipped to support racialized students and educators effectively"

"Ongoing professional development on equity and diversity will help ensure teachers are equipped with current best practices to further an inclusive classroom."

Toronto District School Board (TDSB) motion 

The school board of Canada's largest city has distinguished itself as representing the most passionate among all school boards in Canadian cities for permanently installing a life-and-values system in the education of the city's students that exemplifies the last word in commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion policies. And despite a loud blowback from parent groups and the outraged opposition to this commitment by many factions within the city the TDSB feels it has not sufficiently entrenched its program, to the effect that a committee within the board voted to forward a request to the provincial government making DEI certification mandatory for educators.

 

Academic performance among students in the TDSB has deteriorated at an alarming rate of late under a curriculum that has been socially politicized; basic education has been eviscerated in favour of focusing on woke values that have nothing whatever to do with delivering and acquiring an education preparatory to producing the next generation of intelligent, civil and engaged adults to enter the workforce as responsible members of society.

This, even as society is moving steadily away from the always-controversial Critical Race Theory, 'woke' agenda that has become the signature of the progressive left, sponsored in part by the federal government under Justin Trudeau's Liberals, trickling down to lower-scale governments, unions, academia, corporate interests, driven by a liberal-left that has demonized and scorned antediluvian attitudes expressed in rejection of transmania, light sentencing of criminality, 'safe' injection sites, assisted suicide -- all dressed in the mantle of a kindler, gentler society. 

A kinder, gentler society where by sheer coincidence, Canadian Jews have been aggressively hounded, threatened and isolated in consequence of a drive by Canadian Muslim groups aided and funded by foreign interests to mount virulent anti-Israel campaigns seeking to delegitimize and demonize a nation fighting back against Islamist Palestinian terrorist attacks threatening to destroy the tiny Jewish state in an orgy of rape, murder and abductions, portrayed through a Jew-hating campaign as aggressors of victimized Palestinians.

The TDSB found merit in allying itself with these groups, just as labour unions and university boards, teaching staff and students have been persuaded by Islamist Jew-haters among them to harass and threaten Jewish members of their organizations. At a time when the general public has become sufficiently fed up with loud and threatening demonstrations by 'activist' groups, a majority of Canadians responding to polls reject and oppose diversity quotas as divisive, hostile and bullying.

Private companies and public institutions alike are moving away from hiring quotas and support of divisive activist groups promoting DEI ideals. Influential large corporations like Walmart, McDonald's, Ford and Meta are among major companies reversing their own DEI programs. Yet there is the TDSB proposing and asking the province to make it mandatory for teachers to undergo DEI certification before entering a classroom, and to ensure that this becomes standard throughout the province.

 

The Toronto District School Board’s head office on Yonge Street in Toronto, Ont. on Jan. 15. Gabe Oatley/TorontoToday

The decision to remove auditions and applications based on merit and use random selection to specialized art, music, math, science and sport programs at the TDSB came as a result of anti-black racism and equity initiatives.

Through the board’s Centre of Excellence — which was added in 2021-22 at a cost of $2.3-million a year — specialized camps, basketball programs and mentorships have been offered to black students only.

These anti-racism initiatives saw the removal of student resources officers — specialized cops — in the board’s schools and eliminated consequences for bad behaviour, most specifically suspensions and expulsions.

As a result, some TDSB schools have become war zones.

Sue-Ann Levy, True North