The Ontario Human Rights Commission has released a lengthy report about how to improve reading skills among students.
The Right To Read study is based on information gathered from eight school boards across the province, including the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board.
The report has several recommendations and suggests the most common cause of reading disabilities is dyslexia.
It says many families face financial hardships and there is often a two-tiered education system as parents have to pay to have their kids improve their reading skills.
Reema Khawja with the ORHC says testing for reading ability can vary according to where you live.
“There are very few standards for effectively supporting students with reading difficulties across Ontario,” states Khawja.
“So student experiences vary widely across based on where in Ontario they go to school and even which school they attend within a board.”
Khawja says there’s a good reason they decided to get involved.
“Our education system has a responsibility and a legal duty under the Ontario Human Rights Code, to remove any barriers that limit students’ opportunities to learn and succeed. However, the system creates, deepens, and exacerbates disadvantage for many students.”
The Right to Read report also suggests all kids be screened twice a year from Kindergarten to Grade 2 to make sure students don’t have problems reading.
The Right to Read public inquiry was first announced in October of 2019.
