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At a press conference, Chief Commissioner Patricia DeGuire called it “a blueprint to build a better future” saying it’s important to challenge policies and practices that create systemic barriers, which “delay, defer or disrupt the dreams of Black learners.”

“The issue of anti-Black racism and discrimination has plagued Ontario for a long, long time,” she said, referring to more than 80 reports spanning seven decades that document its existence and impact, some dating back to 1948.

“For decades, Black communities and organizations have been calling attention to racism and discrimination in education,” she said, adding it continues “to cast a shadow over the lives of Black children, youth, educators and education workers.”

Over the last two years, the OHRC consulted with members of the Black community on their experiences and heard about “really awful situations,” she said. Among them, a school that , who was led away in a cruiser.

“Systemic discrimination has really heightened to the point where we now say it’s in crisis,” said DeGuire, who believes “bold” action is needed. 

Education Minister Paul Calandra, who took on the portfolio just last week, said in a statement to the Star that “we thank the OHRC for its report and will consider any recommendations that emerge from it.”

Key themes of the plan are accountability, transparency, students’ well-being, along with monitoring and evaluation.

Among the recommendations are:

• All levels of the education system acknowledge the impact of anti-Black discrimination on Black students and staff and commit to action
• The ministry establish a “clear threshold” for when an independent reviewer is assigned to a board to investigate allegations of anti-Black racism
• That faculties of education increase the diversity in teacher candidates through “targeted recruitment”
• The province expand access to human rights and equality initiatives and programming, such as  for Black students
• School boards develop strategies that help Black families navigate the education system and include parents in the guidance counselling process when students transition into high school to better understand the different educational pathways or streams

In the lead-up to developing the plan, the OHRC consulted with members of the Black community — including students, teachers and administrators — and stakeholders such as unions, educators, universities and the ministry.

York University professor Carl James was consulted and told the Star that he hopes to see concrete action.

“Are these recommendations really going to be implemented and advance the situation of Black students?” asked James, who holds the Jean Augustine chair in education, community and diaspora in the faculty of education.

“What is going to be in place to ensure that this does more than, simply, become yet another report on the situation of Black students?” 

The  and the  issued statements noting their members have policies that promote inclusive learning environments, and look forward to working with education partners to improve the system.

The , the umbrella group representing the province’s teachers, said anti-Black racism must be “rooted out by all actors throughout education.” It also noted that unions aren’t responsible for managing teacher conduct, which is the employer’s responsibility — a distinction that’s not clear in the report.

In its statement to the Star, the government noted it has doubled the number of graduation coaches since the program launched in 2019, and in recent years ended streaming kids into applied courses in Grade 9, which impacted racialized students the most, severely limiting their post-secondary options. In elementary schools, it also banned or reduced suspensions for younger children, a disciplinary tool that disproportionately impacted Black children.

New Democrat MPP Chandra Pasma, her party’s education critic, said the report provides “a roadmap to dismantle racism in our education system, ensuring that Black students and staff have a safe, healthy, equitable experience in our schools.”

“We are calling on Minister Calandra to implement the action plan immediately.”

With files from Kristin Rushowy