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IN THE MEDIA: Ending Academic Streaming in Schools

Carl James

For high school students going into Grade 9 there has long been a choice between applied or academic classes but moving forward the province said it will now end this streaming with an entire phase-out plan for the 2021-2022 school year.

Faculty of Education Professor Carl James led research on streaming back in 2017 and found it disproportionately affected Black students. “The ways in which teachers perceive Black students’ abilities in the context of systemic racism means that we have assumptions about the potential of Black students.”

James highlights that while de-streaming is a step forward, “we need a more holistic approach to combat systemic racism by looking at the curriculum, policies and programs to make them more inclusive for Black, Indigenous and all students that come to the class.”

Listen the full interview (Starts at 13:20)