McGuinty doesn't approve of plan to create black-focused school

Last Updated: Thursday, January 31, 2008 | 12:06 PM ET

CBC News

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty says he's against creating a Toronto school focusing on the needs of black students, and won't support it.
  
McGuinty says he's disappointed that the Toronto District School Board approved the controversial plan, and that the trustees "leapt before they took a good look."
  
He's facing accusations of hypocrisy for not taking action to stop the board from creating the school, when he so vehemently opposed the funding of religious schools during the election.
  
Board officials, who are projecting a $41-million deficit, say they will find the money in their budget for the "Africentric" school.
  
But McGuinty wouldn't say whether the decision to open the school will stop the province from bailing out the board at the end of the year as it has in the past.
  
On Tuesday, TDSB trustees voted 11-9 to create the city's first school focused on black students, one idea proposed to help deal with an alarming statistic — 40 per cent of black students drop out of school.
 
Such a school would attempt to engage students by highlighting the best of African-based history and culture.
 
The school is scheduled to open in 2009.

On Wednesday the province's education minister left no doubt where she stands on the issue of a separate school for black students. 

Kathleen Wynne is dead set against it, but says there's not much she can do about it.

Wynne, a former school trustee, says the Liberal government prefers students learn in an inclusive environment, but the TDSB isn't breaking any rules or laws by going the other way. 

"In fact, the board is operating within education policy. They have the right under the education act to set up alternative schools, so they're acting within their purview," she told CBC News on Wednesday.

"Within the law, as it stands, the board is setting up an alternative school and they'll have to follow all the policies around alternative schools, including that kids from across the system will be allowed to go to the school if they choose to," said Wynne.

The board still has to decide where to put the school, which grades will be involved and how many students will be allowed to attend.

Other recommendations approved Tuesday include a three-year pilot that would integrate black history and culture into the lessons and teaching environment of existing Toronto schools.
  
The project is designed to make class content more relevant for black students in Toronto, about 40 per cent of whom don't finish high school, board statistics suggest.