Randall Denley: Ontario is finally forcing out DEI from schools and universities
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What it should not include is extra points for applicants who belong to special designated groups. Any publicly funded institution should treat people equally, not equitably. The two words sound similar but they are miles apart in current meaning. Equity admissions give extra weight to individuals from groups that have previously been under-represented. It might be a noble idea, but it's still a form of discrimination.
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The core flaw of the DEI world view is the idea that people are primarily defined by their membership in a group. Further, certain groups can only succeed if the bar is lowered for them. That can be insulting and inherently racist, and yet its proponents think they're battling racism.
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The changes for school boards are far more extensive than those for colleges and universities. The legislation gives the government sweeping power to keep the boards tightly focused on student success and sound financial management. In effect, the education minister is now the trustee in chief for boards across the province.
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As Education Minister Paul Calandra put it, 'We are making it clear that school boards must put students first — not politics, not bureaucracy — and that we will act decisively when they fall short of that responsibility.'
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Ontario Public Service Employees Union president JP Hornick said, 'Bill 33 is a power grab, and a dangerous one.' But the provincial government already had power over school boards. What it is doing now is offering enhanced oversight and more control, if necessary.
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It's certainly required. While most school boards are meeting the government's expectations, some are failing spectacularly.
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Trustees in the Thames Valley District School Board, which covers the area around London, Ont., thought it just fine to spend almost $40,000 on an offsite retreat, while those in a Brantford-area Catholic board spent nearly $190,000 on a trip for four trustees to Italy to buy art. The $190,000 includes $63,000 in legal fees to manage the fallout. Other boards are facing large deficits. They blame provincial underfunding, but their job is to manage within the money the province gives them.
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The Ford government wants trustees who focus on student learning and fiscal responsibility. It will be no accident if that profound change deters future social-justice warriors looking to launch a political career.
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