Impact of anti-racist and ethnocultural policies on the recruitment and retention of visible minority teachers in Ontario school boards

Abstract

This study examined the development and implementation of anti-racist and ethnocultural equity policies impact of anti-racist and ethnocultural equity policies in Ontario school board districts, and the impact these policies have had on the recruitment and retention of visible minority teachers. The following questions guided this study: • What process did school boards assume in implementing AEE policies? • Why did they undertake the development of AEE policies? • Who was involved in the development of these policies? • What impact did the implementation of these policies have on the recruitment and retention of minority teachers? The data for this study were collected through questionnaires. Data analysis involved organizing the data into descriptive statistics, and then analysing them as individual components, as well as providing a composite picture. From this study’s findings AEE policies have had little impact on the recruitment and retention of visible minority teachers. This study proposed that the Ministry of Education and Training lacked leadership in the monitoring, development and implementation of these policies, it also failed to hold school board districts accountable for not meeting the objectives of the policy, and did not provide sufficient resources or funding. These failures as well as the lack of information regarding the number of employed visible minority teachers in Ontario have resulted in the negative impact of the policies regarding the recruitment and retention of visible minority teachers.