Opinion
At Canada’s universities, institutional racism more than a case of a few bad apples
By Alka Kumar, Mojgan Rahbari-Jawoko, Sara Asalya January 4, 2021
Without comprehensive race-based data, equity policies within Canadian universities have limited impact in adequately addressing discrimination and racism.
As Canadian universities do not collect race-based data, '63 out of the 76 universities across the country are unable to provide a breakdown of their student populations due to absence of data collection,' despite having diversity offices. Photograph courtesy of Unsplash
The open letter from the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC), dated Dec. 18, 2020, castigating Ontario academic and educational institutions for failing to meet the needs of Black, Indigenous, and racialized students in these challenging times, is certainly bold and timely. The position of public censure OHRC has taken on through this statement speaks to our unusual times, and also to the high levels of systemic disarray our educational systems have fallen into.
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