The erasure of Black, Indigenous, Asian, and other racialized histories in school curricula continues to fuel exclusionary attitudes and divisions in education. While some progress has been made, true change requires a commitment to decolonization by ensuring that our education systems reflect the diverse histories, identities, and lived experiences of everyone living in Canada.
The erosion of anti-racism efforts in education undermines Canada’s commitment to Changing Systems, Transforming Lives: Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy 2024-2028, which envisions equitable access and participation for all. Too often, these initiatives are misrepresented as ideological conflicts rather than essential responses to systemic discrimination. This distortion fuels hate and undermines ongoing efforts to dismantle barriers that keep racialized communities in the margins.
Anti-racism education is fundamental to Canadian society, as classrooms reflect the systemic realities shaped by Canada’s colonial history. Recognizing Canada’s history of racism and embracing decolonization is essential to fostering equitable learning environments. It empowers students with a deeper understanding of justice, identity, and inclusion, paving the way for a more inclusive and equitable future.
At this critical moment, we urge the government and institutions to uphold their commitment to anti-racism work, so that immediate and concrete action by educators and students can fulfill the promises of Canada’s 2024-28 Anti-Racism Strategy and ensure lasting progress in addressing the knowledge gaps and the spread of misinformation and disinformation.
Undermining racial equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts risks fueling the mass spread of disinformation and misinformation, which has historically justified harmful policies like racial segregation in schools and exclusionary immigration laws. Without vigilance, misinformation can once again shape policies and public beliefs that reinforce systemic racism and discrimination reminiscent of past segregation. Asian Canadians today continue to face systemic inequities in education such as:
School boards across Ontario have taken important steps to address anti-Asian racism in education. Reports and initiatives from the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and York Region District School Board (YRDSB) have documented the experiences of Asian students and educators and highlighted the need for systemic change.
Building on this work, CCNC-SJ and ACENet partnered with educators, students, and community advocates to examine ongoing inequities through a pan-Asian lens. The Building Racial Equity in Education report contributes community-based research and recommendations to strengthen anti-racism education, representation, accountability, and support for educators advancing equity in schools.
To address inequities affecting Asian Canadian educators and communities, the Chinese Canadian National Council for Social Justice (CCNC-SJ) and the Asian Canadian Educators Network (ACENet) partnered to advance racial equity, inclusion, and justice in education through a pan-Asian lens.
Working with educators, teachers, students, and equity-seeking communities, the partnership examined the barriers and challenges experienced in schools and classrooms. Through research, workshops, leadership development, and community engagement, the initiative strengthened advocacy, amplified diverse voices, and built the capacity of Asian Canadian educators to foster solidarity and advance systemic change.
The Building Racial Equity in Education report highlights the need for stronger anti-racism education, inclusive policies, meaningful representation, and sustained community leadership. Alongside educators and racial equity advocates, CCNC-SJ and ACENet remain committed to creating education systems in which all students, families, and communities can learn and thrive with dignity and equity.
This resource was developed to help educators address systemic racism, including the oppression faced by Indigenous, Black, Asian, and other racialized communities. However, pressure from the Toronto Sun and the Ministry of Education at the time, Stephen Lecce, influenced the TDSB’s decision to remove it without proper review or consultation from stakeholders and the Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat. This decision contradicts Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy’s whole-of-government approach to addressing systemic discrimination in education.
Aimed to provide educators with tools to recognize, respond to, and prevent anti-Asian racism in schools, this resource explores Asian Canadian histories, the impacts of systemic racism, and strategies for fostering inclusive learning environments. It aligns with the TDSB’s Multi-Year Strategic Plan and broader commitments to anti-racism and equity in education.
The York Region District School Board created the DAAR report which highlights the increase in anti-Asian racism, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, revealing mental health challenges, academic barriers, and a lack of institutional support for affected students. The report identifies key issues such as:
To address these challenges, the report recommends:
Education in Canada has undergone significant changes since colonial times. Initially, schooling was informal and largely church-run, with religious organizations establishing schools for both Indigenous and settler communities. The 19th century saw the development of publicly funded school systems, shaped by British and French traditions. However, education was also used as a tool of assimilation and exclusion, reinforcing racial and social hierarchies.
Residential Schools forcibly removed Indigenous children from their families to eradicate Indigenous cultures and languages, leaving devastating intergenerational impacts. John A. Macdonald, Canada’s first prime minister, openly advocated for industrial schools where Indigenous children would “acquire the habits and modes of thought of white men.”
The push to end residential schools gained momentum in the mid-20th century as Indigenous leaders, activists, and organizations advocated for change. The Sixties Scoop, in which Indigenous children were taken from their families and placed into non-Indigenous homes, revealed that the government continued to uphold policies of forced assimilation even as residential schools began closing. By the 1980s and 1990s, mounting pressure from Indigenous communities and human rights organizations led to the closure of the remaining schools. The last federally run residential school shut down in 1996.
Beyond Indigenous assimilation policies, Canada’s education system also enforced racial segregation. Black students in provinces such as Ontario and Nova Scotia were barred from attending schools with white children, forcing them into separate, underfunded institutions well into the 20th century. The last racially segregated Black school in Canada, located in Nova Scotia, closed only in 1983.
Similarly, Chinese students in British Columbia were subjected to segregation, with separate schools established in cities like Victoria. In 1922, Victoria’s school board expelled all Chinese students, citing racist fears of “contamination” and forcing them into separate Chinese-only schools funded by the Chinese community rather than the government.
Segregation in education reinforced systemic racism, denying Black and Chinese students equal learning opportunities and social inclusion. While segregation was not as widespread or legally enforced as in Nova Scotia and Ontario for Black students, there were de facto segregation practices, especially in cities with significant Chinese populations
Chinese and Black communities in Canada actively resisted educational segregation through organized protests and advocacy. In 1922, when the Victoria school board expelled all Chinese students and forced them into segregated, underfunded schools, the Chinese community launched a student boycott, refusing to comply with the racist policy. The boycott lasted several years, pressuring authorities and highlighting the injustice of segregation in education.
Black communities in Ontario and Nova Scotia fought against racially segregated schools, which denied Black students equal access to education. In the 1940s and 1950s, Black parents, teachers, and activists organized legal challenges and public protests, arguing that segregation violated fundamental rights. In Ontario, segregated schools for Black students were officially abolished in 1965, while Nova Scotia dismantled its last segregated school in 1983, decades after Black communities had demanded change.
From the Chinese student boycott and Black community activism to the abolition of residential schools, underscores the critical role of marginalized communities in shaping a more just and inclusive education system. These struggles remind us that progress is not inevitable, it is the result of relentless advocacy and collective action. To honor this legacy, we must continue working toward an education system that acknowledges historical injustices, dismantles systemic barriers, and fosters equity for all.
Canada’s education system has long been shaped by colonialism, perpetuating systemic barriers for racialized and marginalized communities. Reports such as the Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Every Class in Every School, and Examining Islamophobia in Ontario Schools highlight ongoing disparities, proving that past injustices continue to impact students today.
While policies promoting multiculturalism and anti-discrimination have brought some progress, the system still reflects its colonial foundations, prioritizing dominant narratives while sidelining racial equity. Recent pushback against Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) efforts has led to the defunding and dismantling of critical initiatives, stalling meaningful change and allowing systemic racism, particularly anti-Asian discrimination, to persist.
To ensure an equitable future, we must carry forward the legacy of those who fought for racial justice in education. We cannot allow history to repeat itself. Upholding racial equity requires continued advocacy, investment, and action to dismantle exclusionary structures and create truly inclusive learning environments for all students.
This project has been made possible with the support of the Government of Canada.
Ce projet a été rendu possible grâce au soutien du gouvernement du Canada.
