TDSB fails Palestinian families; parents create guide to address anti-Palestinian racism in schools
Press Release:
As the TDSB delays crucial reforms and fails to release promised educational tools, the community steps up to protect its students from escalating systemic racism.
Toronto, ON – October 10, 2024 – Toronto Palestinian Families, a community organization of Palestinian families and allies on a mission to ensure the physical, psychological and emotional safety of their children in TDSB schools has released a Navigating The TDSB Guide. This resource aims to help Palestinian families address the lack of adequate protection and reporting mechanisms specific to anti-Palestinian racism within the Toronto District School Board (TDSB).
The guide comes at a critical moment, following the TDSB’s continued failure to fully recognize and combat anti-Palestinian racism within its institutions. Despite passing a motion in 2024 to add anti-Palestinian racism to the TDSB’s Combatting Hate and Racism strategy, there has been no progress. The TDSB has not released *Rooted*, a curriculum and pedagogical tool developed in collaboration with the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), designed to provide educators with the resources necessary to teach about Palestinian history and culture. This curriculum, announced in March 2023, remains in limbo.
A Response to Systemic Neglect
The lack of adequate resources—both in curriculum and reporting—has forced Palestinian families to take matters into their own hands. The *Navigating the TDSB Guide* is a grassroots effort to fill the gap left by the TDSB’s inaction. This guide offers practical advice on how families can advocate for their children’s rights, navigate the education system, and respond to instances of discrimination.
“Palestinian families should not have to create their own resources to ensure their children are protected from racism,” said Ameena Sultan from Toronto Palestinian Families. “The TDSB has a responsibility to provide equitable education, yet they have failed to include anti-Palestinian racism in their Equity Policy despite the explicit demand made in a press conference a year ago by both Toronto Palestinian Families and Toronto Jewish Families. We have had multiple meetings with senior TDSB staff about the rampant anti-Palestinian racism within the board and manifesting in our children’s schools that have not resulted in any meaningful action. The TDSB has also failed to support teachers with the tools they need to address anti-Palestinian racism in classrooms. This neglect only deepens the marginalization of Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students, during an ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people and Israeli bombardment of multiple Arab states, most notably in Lebanon.”
A Call for Accountability
The lack of institutional support has led to an environment where discrimination flourishes unchecked. Without specific policies addressing anti-Palestinian racism, educators are ill-equipped to recognize, discuss or combat it, leaving students vulnerable to harm. This failure not only dehumanizes Palestinian students but also marginalizes Arab, Muslim, and allied students and educators, making schools places of fear and exclusion rather than safety and learning.
“By failing to release the Rooted curriculum and implement anti-Palestinian racism policies, the TDSB is complicit in fueling discrimination,” Katie Gowan explained. “When educators are not equipped with relevant materials or training, it creates a vacuum where bias and misunderstanding thrive, further isolating Palestinian students and their families.”
Fighting for Dignity and Equity
The launch of the guide is a clear signal to the TDSB that Palestinian families will continue to advocate for their rights and push for change. In the face of institutional inaction, they are standing strong to protect their children and ensure they receive the education they deserve, free from hate and prejudice.
Toronto Palestinian Families demand that the TDSB release the Rooted curriculum, mandate anti-Palestinian racism training for all staff, update its Equity Policy to explicitly address anti-Palestinian racism, and create effective reporting mechanisms for students and staff. Only then can the TDSB fulfill its commitment to creating a safe, inclusive, and equitable environment for all students.
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About Toronto Palestinian Families (TPF)
TPF are a group of Palestinian families and allies on a mission to ensure the physical, psychological and emotional safety of our children in TDSB schools including the right to express their Palestinian identity and lived experiences
For media inquiries, please contact:
Zaid Zawaideh – media@torontopalestinianfamilies.ca