TDSB trustees vote to develop strategy to combat Islamophobia

The Toronto District School Board voted unanimously Wednesday to develop an anti-Islamophobia strategy, becoming the second board in Ontario to move forward with such an effort.

The move follows a motion that said internal data shows Islamophobia is the second-most reported form of "creed-based hate" within the TDSB network.

"We have heard directly from our communities and have the data to show that Islamophobia continues to impact our students and staff on a regular basis," TDSB Chair Rachel Chernos Lin said in a statement about the vote.

"By taking a focused approach to confronting Islamophobia, we enable more members of our school communities to feel safe and welcome at school and work," she added.

School board staff will now prepare a report on the development and implementation of the strategy that will be presented to trustees in the fall. The board says the work will build on its broader Anti-Hate and Anti-Racism Strategy, which it says "addresses all forms of racism, hate and discrimination."

The motion specifically calls for the impending report to include accountability measures and suggestions for meaningful engagement with the TDSB community on the strategy. 

Calls to take action date back to 9/11, says advocate

The Council of Agencies Serving South Asians, an advocacy organization that has been urging the TDSB to create a policy on Islamophobia, said it was relieved at the move.

"There's certain issues and instances of discrimination or oppression that need specific policies, strategies that really look at the impact of that particular hate on that community," said executive director Samya Hasan.

The organization began advocating for an anti-Islamophobia strategy in 2020, Hasan said, but there have been calls to address the issue in Toronto-area schools for more than a decade, dating back to what she called a dramatic shift in how Muslim students were treated post-9/11.

A recent wave of progressive school trustees elected in October's municipal elections created an opportunity for her organization to work with the board to push forward on a strategy, she said.

CASSA has asked for the strategy to include training, a review of hiring practices, a curriculum review and mental health supports for Muslim students and teachers.

The strategy should also place a large focus on hiring more teachers and staff to be representative of TDSB's student population, Hasan said, noting nearly 20 per cent of middle and high school students identify as Muslim as per the last board census.

Students shouldn't have to worry about safety: NCCM

"The teachers, administration and staff do not reflect that amount of Muslim-identifying students," said Hasan. "It's important for students to see those individuals as role models and in leadership positions, so they can learn from them. It really helps boost self-confidence."

The National Council of Canadian Muslims is another advocacy organization that said it welcomed the decision to implement an anti-Islamophobia strategy, adding that "Islamophobic incidents have been on the rise across the country in recent years."

"It is time that our leaders implemented a real anti-Islamophobia strategy to help protect our kids," NCCM said in a news release Thursday. 

"Muslim students should not have to worry about their safety and survival in our classrooms and schools," said NCCM's Director of Education Programs Aasiyah Khan, who also spoke as a delegate on the motion at the board.

In January, the Peel District School Board became the first in Canada to adopt its own strategy to combat Islamophobia and affirm the identity of Muslim students, who comprise about one quarter of that board's student population.