Creation of Afro-focused schools in Toronto is being debated. If approved, it may eventually be extended to other communities.

Peter Silveira, chairperson of the Barrie Multicultural Association, believes, “the solution should evaluate the system’s impact on minority groups, encourage immigrant children to stay in school but, by no means, segregation.”

Dropout rate versus language and income research done by the Toronto District School Board in 2000 indicates, “mother tongue plays a part in how long at-risk students are in the school system.”

Portuguese-speaking youth lead the dropout rate with 42.5 per cent, followed by the Spanish 39.1 per cent, Somali 36.7 per cent, Punjabi 34.6 per cent, Persian 30.6 per cent, Arabic 27.8 per cent, Vietnamese 24.6 per cent, Korean 20 per cent, Russian 19.6 per cent, Urdu 19.5 per cent, Greek 17.7 per cent, Tamil 16.9 per cent, Bengali 16.7 per cent, Guajarati 14.3 per cent, Chinese 12 per cent and Romanian 10.8 per cent.

The study was done to determine where the help is needed. The answer appears to be Canada needs to seriously consider the multicultural factor that characterizes it as a nation and design a transverse holistic strategy that crosses all government services, including education.

The system encourages children to enter the work force as they are old enough to assume a paper route. Fast food and retail jobs are available to them as they turn 15, coincidentally, precisely the age in which they begin high school.

Making money becomes more relevant, the “reward” is only an “application form” away. It comes bi-weekly and it gives a “freedom” and “independence” not considered in native cultures.

If education is the main pillar of society, what key issues need to be addressed?

Luz Bascunan, former trustee and current education advocate with the Catholic Children’s Aid Society in Toronto, says minority group drop-outs has been an ongoing issue and believes the system needs to consider “well-trained empathetic teachers, with a broad comprehension of equality and anti-racist issues, with a relevant curriculum and inclusive system that will make immigrant families feel that they are included in the decision-making process of their children’s education.”