“Students are being denied an equal right to Read” A look at Ontario Human Rights Commission Right to Read Report

BY PAUL JUNOR

The release of the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) resulted from a public inquiry into human rights issues pertaining to students with reading disabilities across Ontario. It was on October 3^rd, 2019, that the OHRC launched this inquiry and published its findings. Overall, eight school boards in Ontario were assessed on their compliance with obligations to ensure that they were providing equal treatments to students with reading disabilities. The full Right to Read report can be seen at www.ohrc.on.ca.

In the press release, Patricia DeGuire, Chief Commissioner of the OHRC states, “Students are not just being denied an equal right to read, their future and the generations that follow could be impacted. Learning to read is critical in building a life-long sense of personal empowerment. It fundamentally shapes how we learn, work, and socialize; builds self-confidence; improves employment opportunities; and enhances physical, emotional, and mental well-being.”

The report calls for, “Critical changes to Ontario’s approach to early reading, in areas such as curriculum and instruction screening reading interventions, accommodations and personal assessments.” The report made 157 recommendations that will be presented to the Ministry of Education, school boards, and faculties of education in order to help them deal with the systemic issues that affect the right to read. Some of the important recommendations include the following:

• Adopting a new kindergarten Program and Grades 1 to 8 Language curriculum that features direct and systematic instruction in foundational reading skills, and preparing current and future teachers on evidence-based approaches to teaching students to read
• Screening every student, at least twice a year from kindergarten to Grade two, to identify students at risk for reading difficulties, using standardized, evidence-based screening tools
• Standardizing and providing stable funding for evidence-based reading interventions
• Making access to interventions equitable for all students
• Providing and supporting timely and effective accommodation, including greater access to evidence-based software and assistive technology
• Improving access to professional assessments and ensuring greater consistency and transparency in the assessment process
• Setting clear and consistent standards for school boards and mandating better data collection, analysis, and reporting
• Improving communication with students and parents
• Working with experts in the science of reading to implement the OHRC’s recommendations

The OHRC is hopeful and optimistic that there will be collaboration among the various education stakeholders to ensure that systematic barriers are removed that impede students’ opportunities to learn and succeed as required by the Ontario Human Rights Code. The press release notes, “This work will require many partners to collaboratively implement system-wide changes. It will also require sufficient, stable, and ongoing funding.”

There is faith that the Ontario government will respond appropriately.