On Ontario’s Decision Towards Academic Streaming
Please note that this blog post represents the opinions of Danté Fosterdelmundo and is not representative of the official stance of the FCSS-FESC.
In 2020, the Ontario government announced that academic streaming would end for grade 9 students, starting with math courses. Students entering high school will no longer be forced to choose between the academic/university and applied/college route.
This is a significant change for future students, as enrolling within the applied streaming often makes attending university close to impossible because students lack the necessary prerequisites. Students that struggle in academic classes are often demoralized and in some cases, are directed to drop down to the applied stream.
Recent studies have also found evidence of systemic racism embedded within the streaming system. Black, indigenous, and other minorities were often disproportionately pushed into the lower streams by guidance counsellors and teachers. In the TDSB, 47% of black students were in the applied stream compared to 20% of non-black students. Higher academic streams, such as gifted, IB, or enriched, also have an under-representation of marginalized students.
The streaming system furthers academic elitism, puts pressure on students, and has holes within the curriculum, particularly in applied courses. The applied curriculum is lazily written — for instance, applied grade 9 math is simply the academic version with some elements left out. Instead of focusing on fixing these problems, the Ontario government has decided to scrap it entirely.
Scrapping de streaming is a profound and fundamental change within our education system. Students who would typically go to the applied route may struggle immensely in the new de-streamed classes. Teachers will have to deal with a wider margin of academic prowess within grade 9 math. Certain students will require more attention in the new class; lessening the teacher’s ability to help every student succeed. The subjects taught in grade 9 math are also critical for future success. If the Ontario government messes this transition up, there will inevitably be a significant increase in students who fail or drop out.
The issue cited of systemic racism via academic streaming by the Ontario ministry of education is undoubtedly present — although little would change per the Ontario government’s approach. Systemic racism from marginalized students being disproportionately urged into non-University level courses would just be pushed to a later grade. Academic streaming would still exist for grades past 9, and the Ontario government has not committed to ending the streamed classes in 10, 11, or 12. Systemic racism in our schools runs deeper than lopsided streaming; such as Eurocentric biases within social science curriculums and a lack of anti-racism teachings in earlier grades.
Higher-performing students could also see a drop in academic performance. The Ontario government has not elaborated on how the Grade 9 math curriculum would work, whether it would take more from the applied or academic sector and how difficult it would be relative to either. If the challenge in materials taught were to drop to accommodate students that would normally choose the applied stream, this could easily cause many advanced students to lose focus and sense of achievement in school.
There is an ulterior motive for the government to enact this, namely that we could see an increase in class sizes as the new grade 9s will not be divided into two streams.
Removing class-streaming, which seems solid in theory, can have huge ramifications on the education for future learners. The possible consequences for haphazardly removing streaming from the curriculum would have heavy effects on students who would require extra help offered in applied classes.
The academic/applied system needs serious improvements, however, scrapping it would be a disservice to all students and teachers. Instead of removing a faulty system, the Ontario government and the Ministry of Education should instead focus on fixing the problems within the system itself.
Please note that this blog post represents the opinions of Danté Fosterdelmundo and is not representative of the official stance of the FCSS-FESC.
References
Ontario to End Academic Streaming for Grade 9, Suspensions for Junior Kindergarten to Grade 3 | CBC News. 6 July 2020, www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-streaming-high-school-racism-lecce-1.5638700