South Asians say teaching staff is too white

In Toronto’s Peel Region, where 57 per cent of people are minorities, South Asians are demanding more non-white teachers. "We’re still seen as outsiders, we’re not part of the team because schools are kind of clique-ish to those who aren’t Caucasian," teacher Krishna Nankissoor told the Toronto Star. He had complained to the Ontario Human Rights Commission after failing to be promoted, but since made a deal with the board. Tony Pontes, the director of education for Peel Region told The Star that it takes time to get more minority teachers. Dean Alice Pitt of York University similarly explained that although the supply of teachers in recent years is very diverse (33 per cent at York) boards aren’t hiring much, so the face of classrooms is changing slowly. The Ontario Ministry of Education told school boards earlier this year to make equity a focus in hiring, but the government will not force boards to track the races of teachers.