7 out of 10 High School kids not white in GTA

TV Buff · TOP Guru

RE: 7 out of 10 High School kids not white in GTA

angelita · Guru

After reading the rest of the posts.... BUFFY we clearly attended the wrong high school. We NEVER had a spanish club, spanish teachers or anything spanish at all

Cordoba_D · Guru

im kinda happy that i never went to high school here toronto....i would have easily dropped out or joined some stupid gang.....

when i came back i had to do grade 12 again at west T.O.......there were no more then 5 latino students in my grade......no latin cutural month events.....we had black history month and south asian week<<< which was held about 4 to 5 times during that whole year..

only just once did they have a special presentation at the gym were they showed how mexicans celebrate the day of the dead....and stupid kids i remember were laughing saying spics this and that blankstare i almost felt like knocking one out.. aww

i guess it just depended in the area were u went to for high school ...cause i know central tec had alot of latino events i should have transfered there..

caliche · Guru

El Duro wrote:

@Caliche

U went to Dame and heart lake in peel what year?

'00-01' & '01-'02.. spent bout 3-7 months in each school before moving back to Toronto and going to Nelson A. Boylen... why? did you go to HLSS or Dame?

El Duro · Foro Master

@Caliche

U went to Dame and heart lake in peel what year?

caliche · Guru

I don't know about beveryone elses experience in school.. but... i went to several high schools in different districts... i went to George Harvey, York Memo, Weston , Downsview, and Nelson A. Boylen in the TDSB... Notre Dame, Jaques Cardinal, Heartlake, TL Kennedy in Peel Region...(I moved around alot) in each of these high schools the population of Latino students was minimal (except Weston), most Latino students didnt know or understand the customs.. i never went to a Latino event in school .. i think in my last year at Nelson A. Boylen (on Falstaff, close to Chaminade) i learned more about Black History than i knew about Latin culture.. my English teacher (Mr.Knight) spent preety much the whole year talking bout how great Black culture was, and my Spanish teacher (Mrs.Franco) spent the whole year making me feel like a useless uneducated spic who was just another number...

to have more Latino teachers doesnt mean we'll learn more about our culture... a chinito teacher taught me French when i was in school...

GENIE · Foro Master

I dont know about you guys and alot of things have changed since you and i went to school but i remember we used to have after school groups (i know the school board has stopped alot of these which i think its wrong) but we had the Latin Club and it was run by Mr.Aldea the only Spanish (from Spain) teacher in our school he also taught math and another subject but i was never really in his class, it was loads of fun I learned about Colombians and arepas, about chilenos and pisco and Peru with the INCAs i mean it was a group that was fun for me I also learned about Salvadoreans that I truly had no idea about! THen there was the jamacian group which i popped into a few times cuz of my friends which was cool to learn about the roots of there music and food and how there culture has adapted to this life and there history that goes back to africa! We had teachers from Black to hispanic to Chinese to Indian in our school my french teacher talked 5 languages and For that i can say Dante was i guess more advanced then most schools were! i loved it there! But again this had to do with alot of after school activities that were going on!

Guadalupana · Foro Master

TV Buff wrote:

Either you misunderstood me or I did you... I'm not talking about taking a "culture course". Far from it. The kids would hate that. And if I wanted the curriculum to change, I rather the kids get courses in financial education (how to spend money, how to be financially responsible, etc.) No, no one would appreciate changing the curriculum. What I meant was having more visible minorities teaching, and being more openly aware in general to other people and cultures. No courses.

Summing up: more non whitito teachers + more culturally aware teachers = better education. That's all.

From my own experience in Canada, I only had white teachers in High school... oh, and one black ESL teacher that I loooooved... we all did. In university, even the professors that were teaching all the latin american courses that I took were white. My Spanish/English Translation professor was white. He'd learned Spanish in Spain. You see what I mean? Somehow there would've been a little more credibility, for me as a student, had I learned these subjects from homies like me.

Yes, i think we both misunderstood eachother. But then again, we're using examples that we as an individual have experienced.

Like you said, you had mainly white teachers. Where i had teachers of different backgrounds, in gradeschool, highschool and college.

God, how times change. And so fast.

Guadalupana · Foro Master

@ AMansPath,
I agree, gradeschool teaches you the basics, not workplace survival skills. But i was refering to the data collected from "every student from Grade 7 through 12"...by that time, you're looking for or at least you should have an idea of what you'll do with the rest of your adult life.

You said:
"The point of a multicultural curriculum would be to promote tolerance and understanding among people of different cultures which will later on have to interact with one another in a social or work situations."

And that's what i said later, the working with the different people. But i think you learn tolerance at home. If your parents have a certain dislike towards a certain background, and are very vocal about it, the kids will certiainly pick up on it and reflect it out in society.

But you know what will help the people learn tolerance? Not having race specific schools. That just divides it i think.

You said:
Sure my family may be able to teach me about my roots but who is gonna teach people from other cultures about mine and me about theirs?

You are of course! You will teach your Japanese, Indian, Jamaican, or other latinos about your customs, and vice versa.

TV Buff · TOP Guru

angelita wrote:

TV Buff wrote:

angelita wrote:

TV Buff wrote:
Awesome... is Mr. Castllo still at BM?

Not sure But he was a great teacher. Because of him, i started reading spanish books.

Totally off topic but have you seen the new Loretto high school? If only we had experienced it instead of walking through one campus to the other, in those winter blizzards

No, I haven't... there is a new Loretto Campus? Lucky b*tches!!! yes, I still remember walking in the blizzards... I hated that school with a passion!!!

Where is the new campus?

Well the nuns kicked the Loretto people out. So when that happened they searched for a new location to build the new Loretto school. It's located near Dufferin and St.Clair. It's so freegin nice. And a lot of the teachers are still there. Mr. Lynch is most likely to retire at that school

I looooooooooooooved Mr. Lynch... best teacher I ever had... He's still there? Wow.

angelita · Guru

TV Buff wrote:

angelita wrote:

TV Buff wrote:
Awesome... is Mr. Castllo still at BM?

Not sure But he was a great teacher. Because of him, i started reading spanish books.

Totally off topic but have you seen the new Loretto high school? If only we had experienced it instead of walking through one campus to the other, in those winter blizzards

No, I haven't... there is a new Loretto Campus? Lucky b*tches!!! yes, I still remember walking in the blizzards... I hated that school with a passion!!!

Where is the new campus?

Well the nuns kicked the Loretto people out. So when that happened they searched for a new location to build the new Loretto school. It's located near Dufferin and St.Clair. It's so freegin nice. And a lot of the teachers are still there. Mr. Lynch is most likely to retire at that school

TV Buff · TOP Guru

angelita wrote:

TV Buff wrote:
Awesome... is Mr. Castllo still at BM?

Not sure But he was a great teacher. Because of him, i started reading spanish books.

Totally off topic but have you seen the new Loretto high school? If only we had experienced it instead of walking through one campus to the other, in those winter blizzards

No, I haven't... there is a new Loretto Campus? Lucky b*tches!!! yes, I still remember walking in the blizzards... I hated that school with a passion!!!

Where is the new campus?

angelita · Guru

TV Buff wrote:
Awesome... is Mr. Castllo still at BM?

Not sure But he was a great teacher. Because of him, i started reading spanish books.

Totally off topic but have you seen the new Loretto high school? If only we had experienced it instead of walking through one campus to the other, in those winter blizzards

TV Buff · TOP Guru

angelita wrote:

@ Buffy - I understand what you mean. Although in my family, i have a cousin who got accepted and is in teachers college as we speak. I'm proud of her. Also, a very good friend of mine is an elementary school teacher. So that's two more hispanic women teaching and not because of money or whatsoever, they just want to help kids. It would great to see more hispanic teachers, lawyers, doctors etc... I also have another friend who is Salvadorean and she's been teaching at Westview High School since last year. She honestly loves it and realizes how much some of her students need help in learning etc..

Did anyone here graduate from Bishop Morrocco high school back in the days? Anyhoo, they had a hispanic teacher, his name was Mr.Castillo!! I looooved that teacher. I had him in my night school class and i swear, he made the class fun in learning. When i first had him, i swear i was surprised that he "a hispanic man" was our teacher. He was the only hispanic teacher i had ever met

Awesome... is Mr. Castllo still at BM?

angelita · Guru

@ Buffy - I understand what you mean. Although in my family, i have a cousin who got accepted and is in teachers college as we speak. I'm proud of her. Also, a very good friend of mine is an elementary school teacher. So that's two more hispanic women teaching and not because of money or whatsoever, they just want to help kids. It would great to see more hispanic teachers, lawyers, doctors etc... I also have another friend who is Salvadorean and she's been teaching at Westview High School since last year. She honestly loves it and realizes how much some of her students need help in learning etc..

Did anyone here graduate from Bishop Morrocco high school back in the days? Anyhoo, they had a hispanic teacher, his name was Mr.Castillo!! I looooved that teacher. I had him in my night school class and i swear, he made the class fun in learning. When i first had him, i swear i was surprised that he "a hispanic man" was our teacher. He was the only hispanic teacher i had ever met

miguel · TOP Guru

TV Buff wrote:

miguel wrote:

teaching, it's a tough question.

Did you ever consider becoming a teacher?

ummmm...

no.....

but then again... how many men do right? not many?

That's what I thought, but you'd be surprised... lots.

i wonder about this... most of my teacher friends say that there were few men in teachers college. i guess society dictates certain things for us and it's hard to break free

miguel · TOP Guru

Chilenita wrote:
Pffft whatever you just wanted to be filthy rich.

LOL :) nah, i was never very materialistic actually. just had some drive to succeed in my field because it interests me.

i just need a small beach house somewhere biggrin

, and enough to put my kids through school.

Chilenita · Comandante

miguel wrote:

TV Buff wrote:

miguel wrote:

for what it's worth, all of the profs i had for spanish courses in university were latin american.

i really don't know how to get more minorities to see value in teaching, it's a tough question.

Good for you. Also, for what it's worth, there are a hell of a lot more latin american students in university and college now than when I went to school... and this was only 10 years ago, so the landscape is changing. I don't have the stats, but I'm sure the numbers are higher now.

i don't know what the stats are either now, but there are definitely latin student associations now, and events and stuff, which didn't exist really when i started my undergrad 10 years ago

10 years have gone by and i'm still in university. that's kinda depressing, hah.

When you retire at 45 filthy rich it will not be depressing. smile

miguel · TOP Guru

TV Buff wrote:

miguel wrote:

for what it's worth, all of the profs i had for spanish courses in university were latin american.

i really don't know how to get more minorities to see value in teaching, it's a tough question.

Good for you. Also, for what it's worth, there are a hell of a lot more latin american students in university and college now than when I went to school... and this was only 10 years ago, so the landscape is changing. I don't have the stats, but I'm sure the numbers are higher now.

i don't know what the stats are either now, but there are definitely latin student associations now, and events and stuff, which didn't exist really when i started my undergrad 10 years ago

10 years have gone by and i'm still in university. that's kinda depressing, hah.

TV Buff · TOP Guru

miguel wrote:

Chilenita wrote:

miguel wrote:

for what it's worth, all of the profs i had for spanish courses in university were latin american.

i really don't know how to get more minorities to see value in teaching, it's a tough question.

Did you ever consider becoming a teacher?

ummmm...

no.....

but then again... how many men do right? not many?

That's what I thought, but you'd be surprised... lots.

Chilenita · Comandante

miguel wrote:

Chilenita wrote:

miguel wrote:

for what it's worth, all of the profs i had for spanish courses in university were latin american.

i really don't know how to get more minorities to see value in teaching, it's a tough question.

Did you ever consider becoming a teacher?

ummmm...

no.....

but then again... how many men do right? not many?

Pffft whatever you just wanted to be filthy rich. biggrin

TV Buff · TOP Guru

miguel wrote:

for what it's worth, all of the profs i had for spanish courses in university were latin american.

i really don't know how to get more minorities to see value in teaching, it's a tough question.

Good for you. Also, for what it's worth, there are a hell of a lot more latin american students in university and college now than when I went to school... and this was only 10 years ago, so the landscape is changing. I don't have the stats, but I'm sure the numbers are higher now.

Chilenita · Comandante

TV Buff wrote:

Another perk about becoming a teacher (the one that made me think I should)... especially if you have kids: the hours. You get to spend all vacations and summer at home. I know a lot of moms in the boonies that have done this and are perfectly happy.

Sooooooooo true. My cousin is a teacher in Mississauga and it's perfect for her because she gets to spend all summer with her little one.

If Chile Jr doesn't want to become a nun I will encourage her to be a teacher.

miguel · TOP Guru

Chilenita wrote:

miguel wrote:

for what it's worth, all of the profs i had for spanish courses in university were latin american.

i really don't know how to get more minorities to see value in teaching, it's a tough question.

Did you ever consider becoming a teacher?

ummmm...

no.....

but then again... how many men do right? not many?

TV Buff · TOP Guru

Another perk about becoming a teacher (the one that made me think I should)... especially if you have kids: the hours. You get to spend all vacations and summer at home. I know a lot of moms in the boonies that have done this and are perfectly happy.

Chilenita · Comandante

AMansPath wrote:

Guadalupana wrote:

I'm not sure i agree with this 'issue' at all.

Will teaching kids about other cultures help them in the workplace later on? a place where multiculturalism is rarely, if ever practiced. Yes, it's interesting to know the ways of the different races, but it should not be mandatory. Rather more of an elective. If they want to learn more, they take the course by choice, for an easy credit. Easy credit because i know for a fact, that the value of this 'culture' credit, will not be as valuable as say, a science credit come graduation and job hunting.

Plus, there are schools (and i think they would be mainly the catholic ones) that do practice some form of culture.

For example, Archbishop Romero. The school was not only for Salvadoreans, there were all mixes and nationalities. Yes, mainly they were hispanic, but they were taught about who Romero was. Not through an actual class, but more in an assembly of some sort. So, if certain kids want more culture in their menu, then they should do more research on the highschool they want to go to.

An anyway, isn't it the parents that have to teach them about their roots? I think they'd be a better teacher at it.

Hello,

Firstly, nothing you ever learned in grade school prepared you for the workplace. I can't remember the last time I was at a meeting and my boss asked me to do long division on the whiteboard with no calculator or recite the first 10 Prime Ministers of Canada to close a Client. (even thought I could, but thats besides the point)
The point of a multicultural curriculum would be to promote tolerance and understanding among people of different cultures which will later on have to interact with one another in a social or work situations. Sure my family may be able to teach me about my roots but who is gonna teach people from other cultures about mine and me about theirs?

American style "assimilation" as your post suggest would simple lead to a bland and cultureless society where everyone is forced into the status in quo and where cultural diversity is lost.

I agree 100%

AMansPath · Regular Plus

Guadalupana wrote:

I'm not sure i agree with this 'issue' at all.

Will teaching kids about other cultures help them in the workplace later on? a place where multiculturalism is rarely, if ever practiced. Yes, it's interesting to know the ways of the different races, but it should not be mandatory. Rather more of an elective. If they want to learn more, they take the course by choice, for an easy credit. Easy credit because i know for a fact, that the value of this 'culture' credit, will not be as valuable as say, a science credit come graduation and job hunting.

Plus, there are schools (and i think they would be mainly the catholic ones) that do practice some form of culture.

For example, Archbishop Romero. The school was not only for Salvadoreans, there were all mixes and nationalities. Yes, mainly they were hispanic, but they were taught about who Romero was. Not through an actual class, but more in an assembly of some sort. So, if certain kids want more culture in their menu, then they should do more research on the highschool they want to go to.

An anyway, isn't it the parents that have to teach them about their roots? I think they'd be a better teacher at it.

Hello,

Firstly, nothing you ever learned in grade school prepared you for the workplace. I can't remember the last time I was at a meeting and my boss asked me to do long division on the whiteboard with no calculator or recite the first 10 Prime Ministers of Canada to close a Client. (even thought I could, but thats besides the point)
The point of a multicultural curriculum would be to promote tolerance and understanding among people of different cultures which will later on have to interact with one another in a social or work situations. Sure my family may be able to teach me about my roots but who is gonna teach people from other cultures about mine and me about theirs?

American style "assimilation" as your post suggest would simple lead to a bland and cultureless society where everyone is forced into the status in quo and where cultural diversity is lost.

Chilenita · Comandante

miguel wrote:

for what it's worth, all of the profs i had for spanish courses in university were latin american.

i really don't know how to get more minorities to see value in teaching, it's a tough question.

Did you ever consider becoming a teacher?

miguel · TOP Guru

for what it's worth, all of the profs i had for spanish courses in university were latin american.

i really don't know how to get more minorities to see value in teaching, it's a tough question.

TV Buff · TOP Guru

Guadalupana wrote:
Oh no, no. Buffy don't get me wrong. Lets use me as an example.
See, i'd rather take a science, or an English credit instead of a culture credit. And i'm not doing that because one day i want to super rich. It's just that i wouldn't see myself using that cultural credit knowledge (say it was Japanese culture), and putting to practice in my everyday life. It would be a waste of time, but not for lack of appreciation. At least for me. Why would i want to go to school to learn about my salvadorean culture, when at home with my family it's really all we do?
We talk, we eat, we do the pavos 3 times a year...pfft, i think i'm totaly living my culture here in Canada. In the comfort of my own home.
I haven't taken any sort of culture class, and that doesn't make me a less open minded person about the different races. I appreciate them all. Chinese, Indian, Jamaican...you name it. I went to school with them, became friends with them, and even work with them. So if i'm learning about their particular customs, it's through them with everyday interaction.
As for learning tolerance for others, that starts at home.
So basically, if i want to polish my knowledge on a particular culture, i just walk myself to the nearest public library, borrow a book and voila. Or better yet, we have all sorts of festivals, why not take part in them? And we can't forget the internet, there is plenty of material to learn from there.

Either you misunderstood me or I did you... I'm not talking about taking a "culture course". Far from it. The kids would hate that. And if I wanted the curriculum to change, I rather the kids get courses in financial education (how to spend money, how to be financially responsible, etc.) No, no one would appreciate changing the curriculum. What I meant was having more visible minorities teaching, and being more openly aware in general to other people and cultures. No courses.

Summing up: more non whitito teachers + more culturally aware teachers = better education. That's all. aww

From my own experience in Canada, I only had white teachers in High school... oh, and one black ESL teacher that I loooooved... we all did. In university, even the professors that were teaching all the latin american courses that I took were white. My Spanish/English Translation professor was white. He'd learned Spanish in Spain. You see what I mean? Somehow there would've been a little more credibility, for me as a student, had I learned these subjects from homies like me.

Guadalupana · Foro Master

TV Buff wrote:

Now, this is more for Guada: I think it's great that people want to be engineers and financial whizzes (sp?) and whathaveyou, but not EVERYONE can or wants to be extremely successful or insanely rich. Some people are just happy to get by and there's absolutely nothing wrong with it. Teaching you about different cultures only makes you a rounder person, and then you can go off and make your millions.

Teaching about multiculturalism IS important because with that you learn tolerance and you learn that when you enter the workforce you'll most likely find all sorts of people and cultures as well. It just makes the transition easier.

Oh no, no. Buffy don't get me wrong. Lets use me as an example.
See, i'd rather take a science, or an English credit instead of a culture credit. And i'm not doing that because one day i want to super rich. It's just that i wouldn't see myself using that cultural credit knowledge (say it was Japanese culture), and putting to practice in my everyday life. It would be a waste of time, but not for lack of appreciation. At least for me. Why would i want to go to school to learn about my salvadorean culture, when at home with my family it's really all we do?

We talk, we eat, we do the pavos 3 times a year...pfft, i think i'm totaly living my culture here in Canada. In the comfort of my own home.

I haven't taken any sort of culture class, and that doesn't make me a less open minded person about the different races. I appreciate them all. Chinese, Indian, Jamaican...you name it. I went to school with them, became friends with them, and even work with them. So if i'm learning about their particular customs, it's through them with everyday interaction.
As for learning tolerance for others, that starts at home.

So basically, if i want to polish my knowledge on a particular culture, i just walk myself to the nearest public library, borrow a book and voila. Or better yet, we have all sorts of festivals, why not take part in them? And we can't forget the internet, there is plenty of material to learn from there.

TV Buff · TOP Guru

miguel wrote:

it's hard to get immigrants to see the long term value in teaching. most immigrants (either first or second generation) that get it drilled into their heads that they need to go to university, and end up going, do not end up wanting to do all that work to make a lot less money teaching than in the private sector.

how do you get immigrants to see the value in teaching and give up engineering, medicine.. science.. law.. etc...

You can't really teach immigrants, especially in a country like Canada that places such high value in consumerism, to value teaching.

See, I come from a long line of teachers... there are A LOT of teachers in my family, so I know the passion they've felt for the profession, though I've also suffered because of the fact that there was never any money in teaching. I myself thought that one day I would consider becoming a teacher, but I guess either I missed my calling or I found something that I was more passionate about.

I think that to be a teacher, or a good teacher you have to realize that 1)you'll never be rich 2) you have to be a selfless person, 'cause you're helping other people realize their fullest potential, which might mean that they'll eventually make more money than you (thus the being selfless: you're just thrilled to see THEM succeed) and 3) you have to have an aptitude to teach. That doesn't mean that you're the brightest or most knowledgeable person, but that you're good at transmitting information or to help people understand things. Not anybody can do that. Being smart or a bright academic doesn't make you a good teacher.

Now, this is more for Guada: I think it's great that people want to be engineers and financial whizzes (sp?) and whathaveyou, but not EVERYONE can or wants to be extremely successful or insanely rich. Some people are just happy to get by and there's absolutely nothing wrong with it. Teaching you about different cultures only makes you a rounder person, and then you can go off and make your millions.

Teaching about multiculturalism IS important because with that you learn tolerance and you learn that when you enter the workforce you'll most likely find all sorts of people and cultures as well. It just makes the transition easier.

miguel · TOP Guru

it's hard to get immigrants to see the long term value in teaching. most immigrants (either first or second generation) that get it drilled into their heads that they need to go to university, and end up going, do not end up wanting to do all that work to make a lot less money teaching than in the private sector.

how do you get immigrants to see the value in teaching and give up engineering, medicine.. science.. law.. etc...

Guadalupana · Foro Master

I'm not sure i agree with this 'issue' at all.

Will teaching kids about other cultures help them in the workplace later on? a place where multiculturalism is rarely, if ever practiced. Yes, it's interesting to know the ways of the different races, but it should not be mandatory. Rather more of an elective. If they want to learn more, they take the course by choice, for an easy credit. Easy credit because i know for a fact, that the value of this 'culture' credit, will not be as valuable as say, a science credit come graduation and job hunting.

Plus, there are schools (and i think they would be mainly the catholic ones) that do practice some form of culture.

For example, Archbishop Romero. The school was not only for Salvadoreans, there were all mixes and nationalities. Yes, mainly they were hispanic, but they were taught about who Romero was. Not through an actual class, but more in an assembly of some sort. So, if certain kids want more culture in their menu, then they should do more research on the highschool they want to go to.

An anyway, isn't it the parents that have to teach them about their roots? I think they'd be a better teacher at it.

PRINCESSA · TOP Guru

@ Buffy -

(or actually a bunch of mexicans, 'cause all the other races think we're all mexicans), so true.

Sabes I had mixed feelings about this topic, but after reading ur post I guess I saw a diffrent side to that scenario & absolutly u've got a point.

I would of luved to be a teacher, I actually considered it for a bit, but then I realized I got no patients to teach or with kids, so I figured I would pass to avoid being misarble all the time.

LGigolo · Comandante

I think that article just goes to show how multicultural our city is - full of immigrants!
At the same time, immigrants are SMART enough to NOT get into teaching. Long ass hours for not great pay!

TV Buff · TOP Guru

PRINCESSA wrote:

@ Buffy - u think it will make a difference if we get minorities as teachers?

Do u think it may cause more cultural issues?

I'm just asking.

I totally do. I think it would make a huuuuge difference to get more minorities as teachers not only because it's good for kids and their identity to see people like them as authority figures, but also because these teachers should and would be more aware of cultural differences and people, white or not, need to learn about cultural differences.

I find it funny how we in this foro go on and on and on about "you're ecuadorian and you're salvatrucho and you're southamerican and you're central american" and if you see the stats we're like a mere dot in the landscape and what the other 98 percent of people of other races in Canada see is a bunch of latin americans (or actually a bunch of mexicans, 'cause all the other races think we're all mexicans).

Here in Canada, as painful as that is, we're nothing but Latinos, regardless of where we come from. So it would be nice to see more "latinos" in positions of power, that's all. And as teachers, latinos could have a huuuuuge role in shaping the image of the latino kids in Canada.

So, yes.

caliche · Guru

my Spanish teacher (Mrs.Franco- not Ricky's mom ) was a total douchebag... she would always talk about how Latinos should better themselves yadda yadda yadda, make us feel like useless spics... too much haterade i say...

imagine our kids being taught by Briceno?? forget that, my kids are gonna get home schooled... or be in military school... or if they do go to public/catholic schools they're gonna be in tae Kwon Do/Karate/Kiung Fu/ Jiu jitsu/Judo/boxing/ grappling/knife throwin classes so they dont get sexually harrased in school...

PRINCESSA · TOP Guru

@ Buffy - u think it will make a difference if we get minorities as teachers?

Do u think it may cause more cultural issues?

I'm just asking.

TV Buff · TOP Guru

Yet, visible minorities are completely underrepresented when it comes to staff:

8 out of 10 teachers in grades 7 to 12 are white. We need more minorities to go to Teachers' College, people!!!

http://www.thestar.com/GTA/Education/article/280562

Teach us about us: Students TheStar.com - Education - Teach us about us: Students

Cultural studies would make school more interesting, teens tell Toronto board survey

November 28, 2007

Louise Brown
Kristin Rushowy
education reporters

Despite its staggering racial diversity seven in 10 teens are not white half the high school students in Canada's largest board say they aren't taught about different cultures in class, new research shows.

Yet two-thirds of kids say learning about their own race would make school more interesting, and almost half believe it would help them do better in school, according to a groundbreaking survey released yesterday by the Toronto District School Board.

In the most ambitious demographic snapshot conducted by a school board in Ontario, Toronto asked every student from Grade 7 through 12 at 289 schools highly personal but confidential questions about their race, sexuality, home life and disabilities on a written questionnaire done in class in 2006, as well their feelings about teachers, school, safety and how welcome they feel in class, in a bid to improve schools.

And while the majority of the 105,000 students said they feel safe and accepted in the halls of their schools, officials are troubled so many admit they don't see themselves reflected in the curriculum.

"That's something we feel very strongly about. When we read that, we were quite concerned," said director of education Gerry Connelly, pledging the board will launch "an aggressive staff development initiative" to help teachers bring a range of cultural perspectives into class.

"That's something that helps students feel, and be, valued in their school," she said yesterday.

The numbers come as the board grapples with whether to open an alternative African-centred school for students who may feel overlooked in mainstream schools. Roughly 12 per cent of students identify themselves as black.

The survey was designed to help figure out which demographic factors pose roadblocks to learning from race to gender, mother tongue to family income so the board knows where to steer help.

Trustee Josh Matlow voted against conducting the survey, saying the board should be taking action, not collecting data. He called the results "interesting reading.''

"I don't believe students are going to give us the full goods," he said, especially on questions of sexuality.

"The survey was quite a hot topic when we did it in class," said Grade 12 student Gerald Mak of Earl Haig Secondary School.

"Some of them wondered why their student number had to be left on if it was really confidential but I understand why," said the student trustee. "It was so we know where to make improvements."

Mak is one of the 71 per cent of high school students whose parents were both born outside Canada his are from Hong Kong and among the 20 per cent of students of East Asian descent.

Yet he has been taught little about Asia, he said, except a little in Grade 10 geography. "We're Toronto, we're very multicultural. I strongly agree that we should learn more about different races."

Despite concerns about school safety after the fatal high school shooting of Jordan Manners last spring, 81 per cent of students say they get along with others at school.

Of particular concern to the board's equity chief, Lloyd McKell, are the gaps between home and school revealed by the survey: the fact just 56 per cent of grades 7 and 8 students report eating breakfast every day, or that 35 per cent say frequent distractions at home prevent them from doing homework.

"All of these are issues we need to probe deeply," he said. "It suggests to us that there are relationships with the community we need to continue to build."

Next week, the board will hold its first student forum, bringing in high school youth to talk to staff about issues affecting their lives.

In its meeting tonight, the board is expected to create a "student data advisory committee" of staff, experts and trustees to look at ways to use the survey results to help improve student achievement.

A similar survey will be given next spring to children from kindergarten to Grade 6, to be filled in at home with parents.

Connelly said the board will focus its efforts on students in grades 6, 7 and 8 because they tend to become disengaged before high school.

While it will be months before the board drills down far enough into the data to know which particular students face which barriers, Connelly said the board is "committed to raising the bar and closing the achievement gap. We have a lot of vulnerable students we need to work with."