TWENTY YEARS AND COUNTING - AN EXAMINATION OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF EQUITY AND INCLUSIVE EDUCATION POLICY IN ONTARIO (1990–2010)

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by pop out

TWENTY YEARS AND COUNTING examines how Ontario’s equity and inclusive education policy developed between 1990 and 2010, focusing on Policy/Program Memorandum No. 119 (2009 version). Using document analysis and policy analysis, the study investigates the ideological, socio-cultural, political, legal, and economic contexts that shaped the memorandum and the stakeholders included in its development. Findings show that liberal multiculturalism continues to influence education policy, and that equity education policy development should become more inclusive, reflecting administrators’, teachers’, and students’ identities, values, and experiences.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages38

Reading Time1 h 36 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Ontario’s education policy tensions

Equity, inclusion, and implementation gaps

Policy development context and stakeholder roles

TWENTY YEARS AND COUNTING: AN EXAMINATION OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF EQUITY AND INCLUSIVE EDUCATION POLICY IN ONTARIO (1990–2010) Allison Segeren, University of Western Ontario, and Benjamin Kutsyuruba, Queen’s University In response to the oft-cited inadequacies of the policies and pedagogies of multicultural education, the Ontario Ministry of Education mandated that school boards develop equity and inclusive education policies, as specified in Policy/Program Memorandum No. 119 [2009 version]: “Developing and Implementing Equity and Inclusive Education Policies in Ontario Schools.” Relying on document analysis and policy analysis as methods of data collection, this study examined the ideological, socio-cultural, political, legal, and economic context from which PPM No. 119 [2009] developed in order to understand what groups of stakeholders were included in the policy development and whose values the policy document ultimately represents. Collected documents that represent both the federal and provincial level of policy making and a variety of regional stakeholders and policy actors illustrated that, despite a shift to focus on equity, conceptions of liberal multiculturalism continue to influence education policy in Ontario. This study concluded that the process of equity education policy development must be made a more inclusive process, reflecting the identities, values, and experiences of school administrators, teachers, and students. Introduction Two major tensions seem to exist within a complex process of education policy development in Ontario. First, education is formally a provincial responsibility, and yet federal legislation, especially in the area of multiculturalism and citizenship, has shaped the types of options available to policymakers at the provincial and territorial level (Joshee, 2004) . Responses to the federal policy on multiculturalism at the provincial level ranged from enthusiasm to slow and uneven implementation, cautious adaptation, inaction, and even outright rejection (Egbo, 2009; Ghosh & Abdi, 2004) . Second, significant tension exists between the Ontario Ministry of Education and regional district school boards. The formal task of developing education policy falls under the jurisdiction of the provincial authorities; implementing these policies and the more complex task of drafting locally developed policies are the responsibility of school districts. Needless to say, policy implementation is consequently anything but seamless, as the relationship between provincial or territorial ministries and school districts is as often characterized by tension as it is by harmony (Joshee, 2004) . The complexity of the education policy terrain in Ontario has led to the development of few policies in the area of equity and inclusion, whereas developed policies have had only minor impacts on educational practices in Ontario schools (Chan, 2007) . Equity and anti-racism policies continue to suffer setbacks because the school system has not found a systemic way to enforce anti-racism and equity policies (Agyepong, 2010) . Even more so, a noticeable retrenchment with respect to equity policies is taking place at the Ontario Ministry of Education, as issues related to equity have been subsumed under the banner of school safety, discipline, harassment, and bullying. Despite attempts at more equitable and inclusive models of multicultural education in Ontario, schools remain dominant sites for the perpetuation of race, gender, sex, and class-based inequalities (Barakett & Naseem, 2009) . Some groups of marginalized students based on race, class, gender, religion, sexual identity, and physical and mental ability continue to be at risk for lower levels of educational opportunity and achievement, and increased drop-out rates and crime participation (Ghosh & Abdi, 2004; Harper, 1997; James, 2007; Ontario Ministry of Education, 2009d). In response to these inadequacies, the Ontario Ministry of E

FAQs

What policy is at the center of the study?

The study focuses on Policy/Program Memorandum No. 119 (2009 version), titled “Developing and Implementing Equity and Inclusive Education Policies in Ontario Schools.”

How does the study analyze the development of the policy?

It relies on document analysis and policy analysis to examine the ideological, socio-cultural, political, legal, and economic context that produced PPM No. 119 (2009).

What does the study conclude about equity and inclusive education policy development?

Equity education policy development should be made more inclusive, reflecting the identities, values, and experiences of school administrators, teachers, and students.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by pop out