What a school’s ‘descent into chaos’, says about the state of education in Ontario

In today’s Big Story podcast, following a fire that led to the closure of York Memorial Collegiate Institute, The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) decided to relocate an estimated 900 students and teachers to the nearby George Harvey Collegiate Institute. However, George Harvey wasn’t equipped to accommodate the influx of students, and when the new school year began, students and teachers found the school overcrowded, understaffed, and unsafe.

The York Memorial fiasco isn’t just a one-off. The school’s struggles highlight systemic challenges within Canada’s largest school board, including staffing shortages, crumbling facilities, and a lack of funding to properly address those issues. Moreover, the situation may worsen as thousands of children lag behind socially and academically after COVID kept them home for nearly two years.

Danielle Groen, a Toronto-based writer and editor who covered the story of York Memorial for Toronto Life, says students and teachers have been pleading with the TDSB for more resources, mental health support, and staff.

“There’s an opportunity here to have a much bigger conversation about the future of education. One that takes into account what students have gone through, what they need, and reimagines the skills that will best equip them for what’s ahead,” says Groen.

Through collective outcry, students, teachers, and staff were able to spark meaningful change at York Memorial. What will it take to get those in power to provide all schools with the funding and resources they desperately need?

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You can also find it at thebigstorypodcast.ca.