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EQUITY AND
INCLUSIVE EDUCATION STRATEGY
Videotaped
Message from Archbishop Thomas Collins on Inclusivity--an excerpt from a presentation on
February 24, 2011
Catholic Equity and
Inclusive Education Policy--H.M. 24
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Policy
‘We proclaim that every individual
young or old is to be treated with reverence and that we are to see the face
of Christ in every person.’ Statement from the Assembly of Catholic Bishops
of Ontario, January 14, 2011.
The Toronto Catholic District School Board
(the “Board”) recognizes that all people are deserving of dignity and are
created equal in the image of God, each with inimitable characteristics
(Genesis: 1:27). In accordance with the Catholic Faith and the Church’s
moral teachings as found in the Catechism and other teachings of the
Magisterium, the Board provides an educational environment which supports
and embraces diversity within its Catholic community, demonstrates respect
for all, and values each as child of God.
The Board recognizes that social or cultural
discrimination is incompatible with Catholic moral principles. The Board
recognizes that the mandate of Catholic Education is to instruct students on
how to live as followers of Jesus Christ and gives pre-eminence to the
tenets of the Catholic faith. The Board further recognizes that we must
uphold the protections entrenched in the Ontario Human Rights Code
(the “Code”), the Constitution Act, 1867 and confirmed in the
Constitution Act of 1982 –the Canadian Charter of Rights and
Freedoms.
As a Catholic school system, the Board and
its staff are committed to the elimination of discrimination as outlined in
Ontario’s Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy and the Ontario Ministry
of Education Policy/Program Memorandum No. 119 (2009) in a manner which is
consistent with the exercise of the Board’s denominational rights under
section 93 of the Constitution Act, 1867 and as recognized in section
19 of the Ontario Human Rights Code.
Where there
is an apparent conflict between denominational rights and other rights the
board will favour the protection of the denominational rights.
Regulations
1.
Consistent with Catholic teachings and denominational rights the
Board is committed to serving students, families and staff in its diverse
Catholic community by incorporating the principles of equity and inclusive
education in all aspects of its policies, programs, procedures and
practices.
2.
The Board recognizes the importance of anti-racism and
anti-harassment policies in promoting and maintaining a Catholic learning
and working environment that fosters racial and ethnocultural understanding.
3.
The Board is committed to an informed leadership philosophy that
inspires, empowers, and supports all stakeholders in our Catholic community
to join together to implement institutional practices and behaviours that
cultivates a Catholic understanding of equity and inclusion.
4.
The Board is committed to providing informed and shared leadership to
improve student achievement, well-being and to close achievement gaps for
students by identifying, addressing and removing all barriers and forms of
discrimination in striving to achieve Ontario Catholic School Graduate
Expectations.
5.
The Board recognizes that the effective development, implementation
and monitoring of equity and inclusive education policies and practices
require the involvement of all partners in the Catholic school community.
6.
The Board recognizes the critical connection between Catholic student
leadership and improved student achievement and will strive to include the
student voice in all aspects of the implementation of a Catholic
understanding of equity and inclusive
education where that voice is in accord with the Catholic faith and the
Catholic Church’s moral teachings.
7.
The Board is committed to establishing and maintaining partnerships
with all members of our diverse Catholic community so that their
perspectives and experiences are recognized.
8. The Board is committed to assessing and monitoring its progress
in implementing the Catholic Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy; to
embedding the principles of equity and inclusive education into all Board
policies, programs, guidelines and practices; and to communicating these
results to the broader community. To that end an annual report will be made
to Board on progress made with respect to the Strategy.
Recognizing that
the transmission of our Faith and Faith development is integral to every
part of Catholic Education, it is the expectation that all staff in Catholic
schools will promote and be informed by the teaching of the Catholic Church.
All students should
be able to see themselves reflected in age appropriate curriculum materials
with the expectation that students will follow a Christ centred pathway as
set out in the Ontario Catholic Graduate Expectations.
9.
The Board is committed to the values of freedom of religion and
freedom from discriminatory or harassing behaviour based on religion and
will take all reasonable steps to provide religious accommodation within the
legal rights afforded to the Catholic school system.
10.
The Board is committed to the principle that every person within the
Catholic school community is entitled to a respectful, positive and
Christ-centred school climate where the learning and working environment is
free from all forms of discrimination and harassment.
The board is committed to the caring of all
students in the spirit of the Gospel.
In an effort to support this commitment all
school based groups will adhere to the Ontario Catholic Graduate
Expectations.
The board will act
to promote vigorously, champion and support the teachings of the Church
11.
The Board, in its delivery of student-centered Catholic educational
services, is committed to providing the school community with opportunities
to acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours needed to
identify and eliminate discriminatory biases and systemic barriers under the
Code. Given these opportunities school communities will make
decisions which are discerning and in keeping with our Catholic faith in
support of a just society that adheres to the common good.
12.
The Board is committed to assessing and monitoring its progress in
implementing the Catholic Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy; to
embedding the principles of equity and inclusive education into all Board
policies, programs, guidelines and practices; and to communicating these
results to the broader community. To that end an annual report will be made
to Board on progress made with respect to the Strategy.
Definitions:
Accommodation: An adjustment made to
policies, programs, guidelines, or practices, including adjustments to
physical settings and various types of criteria, that enables individuals to
benefit from and take part in the provision of services equally and to
participate equally and perform to the best of their ability in the
workplace or an educational setting. Accommodations are provided so that
individuals are not disadvantaged or discriminated against on the basis of
the prohibited grounds
Barrier: An obstacle to equity that
may be overt or subtle, intended or unintended, and systemic or specific to
an individual or group, and that prevents or limits access to opportunities,
benefits, or advantages that are available to other members of society.
Bias: An opinion, preference,
prejudice, or inclination that limits an individual’s or a group’s ability
to make fair, objective, or accurate judgements.
Catechism: A Church-approved systemic
presentation of Catholic faith and of Catholic doctrine issued by the Holy
See and updated periodically. Local Ordinaries, taking into account the
provisions of the Catechism, may issue local catechisms to be used in their
dioceses.
Creed: One of the prohibited grounds
of discrimination in the Ontario Human Rights Code,
interpreted by the Ontario Human Rights Commission to mean “religious creed”
or “religion”. Creed is “a professed system and confession of faith,
including both beliefs and observances or worship” that is “sincerely held”
and includes non-deistic belief systems. Creed does not include “secular,
moral, or ethical beliefs or political convictions” or “religions that
promote violence or hate towards others or that violate criminal law:
Individuals who do not belong to a religion or practise any specific faith
are also protected by the Code.
Diversity: The presence of a wide
range of human qualities and attributes within a group, organization, or
society. The dimensions of diversity include, but are not limited to,
ancestry, culture, ethnicity, gender identity, language, physical and
intellectual ability, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, and
socio-economic status.
Denomination: A religious
organization whose congregations are united in their adherence to its
beliefs and practices
Discrimination: Unfair or prejudicial
treatment of individuals or groups on the basis of race, ancestry, place of
origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation,
age, marital status, family status, or disability, as set out in the Ontario
Human Rights Code, or on the basis of other, similar factors.
Discrimination, whether intentional or unintentional, has the effect of
preventing or limiting access to opportunities, benefits, or advantages that
are available to other members of society. Discrimination may be evident in
organizational and institutional structures, policies, procedures, and
programs, as well as in the attitudes and behaviours of individual.
Ethnocultural: relating to or
denoting a particular ethnic group
Equity: A condition or state of fair,
inclusive, and respectful treatment of all people. Equity does not mean
treating people the same without regard for individual differences.
Harassment: A form of discrimination
that may include unwelcome attention and remarks, jokes, threats,
name-calling, touching, or other behaviour (including the display of
pictures) that insults, offends, or demeans someone because of his or her
identity. Harassment involves conduct or comments that are known to be, or
should reasonably be known to be, offensive, inappropriate, intimidating,
and hostile.
Inclusive Education: Education that
is based on the principles of acceptance and inclusion of all students.
Students see themselves reflected in their curriculum, their physical
surroundings, and the broader environment, in which diversity is honoured
and all individuals are respected.
Ontario Human Rights Code
(the “Code”): A provincial law that gives everyone equal rights and
opportunities, without discrimination, in specific areas such as education,
jobs, housing, and services. The goal of the Code is to address and
ultimately prevent discrimination and harassment.
Religious Accommodation: An
obligation under the Ontario Human Rights Code to provide
reasonable accommodation for students and employees who wish to observe the
tenets or practices of their faith, as well as for those who wish not
to participate in any form of religious observance.
Source Documents
for TCDSB's policy:
Ministry of Education Source Documents:
Related Information:
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