The provincial government is starting the process of getting rid of applied and academic courses in high school.
Premier Doug Ford says it’s unfair to ask students at such a young age to decide whether they want to take classes for college or university.
“Streaming leaves students behind. At a young age, one decision can exclude a student from a world of opportunities later in life. It’s wrong, the system is broken and we are fixing it,” Ford said.
Starting in September 2021, the government will begin the process of ending Grade 9 streaming into applied and academic courses.
Through Bill 197, COVID-19 Economic Recovery Act, 2020, the government is proposing to eliminate discretionary suspensions for students from kindergarten up to Grade 3, beginning September 2020. Serious offences will still be subject to mandatory suspensions. The latest suspension data from 2018-19 shows that over 65,000 elementary and secondary students in Ontario were suspended during that school year.
