African immigrants steered away from university education in high school, study says

A recent study out of Wilfrid Laurier University found young men who immigrated to southern Ontario from African countries faced discrimination from their high school teachers and counsellors, and were often discouraged from taking the courses they needed to pursue a university education.

The research was based on interviews and focus groups conducted between 2015 and 2017 with 67 young men who immigrated from Africa to southern Ontario. Most were based out of the General Toronto Area but some lived in Hamilton and Waterloo region, according to professor Edward Shizha, who led the study.

"They felt that they were treated differently when it came to interactions with teachers," said Shizha, who is a professor of children and youth studies at Laurier.

Shizha said the young men described raising their hands in class and being ignored by their teachers. They said they felt treated as a homogenous group, in spite of the diversity of different African countries. 

The young men also reported being streamed into applied courses rather than academic ones, Shizha said. This is in line with earlier research that found young Black students were being disproportionately affected by academic streaming. 

Based on research that suggested Black and low-income students were disproportionately affected by streaming, the province announced it would end the practice, beginning with the introduction of a foundational, Grade Nine math course this fall.  

Taking courses after high school costs time, money

Shizha said that's a step in the right direction. Although some of the students who were part of the study did go on to university, he said they often had to take the courses they needed after leaving high school — using up valuable time and money.

"They were supposed to do it without paying entry fees in high school, but now after completing high school or being pushed out of high school, they end up taking those subjects on their own, they have to pay for them," said Shizha.

But Shizha said ending academic streaming isn't the only change that needs to happen.

Schools should recruit teachers and counselors who have racial and cultural identities like those of the students they work with, he said. Counselors and administrators should also examine their course enrolment patterns to make sure that immigrant students, in particular those from African countries, are equally represented in university prep courses.

School curriculum also needs to change and become less Euro-centric, he said.

"What I hope is that schools can be made an environment where everyone is welcomed and where everyone is accepted, despite the differences in culture, despite the differences in race," said Shizha.  

Shizha's research was published in the journal Canadian Ethnic Studies.

A spokesperson for Education Minister Stephen Lecce told CBC Kitchener-Waterloo the current government has taken action against racism in part by mandating anti-racism training for trustees and senior board leadership, and by ending the practice of streaming. 

"When it comes to confronting racism and discrimination — we should not accept delay or inaction. Our students deserve better," said the statement from spokesperson Caitlin Clark.

A future study out of Wilfrid Laurier University is broadening this research to include six provinces. Stacey Wilson-Forsberg's research is also including the experiences of French-speaking youth and of young women, as well as young men.

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.