Equity is Happiness
Every student can relate to having felt excluded or unfairly treated at some point over the course of their schooling
Equity is happiness. In order to ensure student achievement, it is critical to employ equitable practices in schools, both inside and outside the classroom walls. Being the main place of socialization for students, from a young age until their years as emerging young adults, one’s school experience can make or break the futures of students who feel threatened or uncomfortable at school. Just to think that the smallest things that one’s peers might do has the potential to make another’s life completely miserable is a daunting thought that, personally, redefines my priorities as a student leader. Not Long ago, I might have had organizing school dances and spirit days at the top of my extra-curricular to-do list, but now I find myself looking at things with a lens tinted with thoughts of equity and inclusion.
Not Long ago, I might have had organizing school dances and spirit days at the top of my extra-curricular to-do list, but now I find myself looking at things with a lens tinted with thoughts of equity and inclusion.
Although they are incomparable to each other, students face a wide variety of inequities at school. Whether it is based on one’s faith, sexual orientation, ethnicity, age or gender, I am confident that every student can relate to having felt excluded or unfairly treated at some point over the course of their schooling. A small, yet significant example of how a student may feel inequitably treated at school could be regarding religious holidays. The fact that our school systems, like the rest of our society, officially acknowledge only select religious holidays, while the rest are simply mentioned, represents a huge inequity. When a student takes multiple days off of school during their faith-specific religious holiday, upon their return to school, they will have to work doubly hard to catch up on the work they missed. Another example of inequity is when the travel time between classes may not be sufficient for students with physical disabilities (i.e. wheelchairs, walkers, etc.). Although some of these difficulties may seem avoidable, the first step in the right direction is certainly awareness and education on these diverse topics.
The fact that our school systems, like the rest of our society, officially acknowledge only select religious holidays, while the rest are simply mentioned, represents a huge inequity. When a student takes multiple days off of school during their faith-specific religious holiday, upon their return to school, they will have to work doubly hard to catch up on the work they missed.
By tackling this issue from every facet of the school, from staff to students to administration, school culture improves significantly and this makes a statement on how the school, as a whole, feels about equity. When a student can look to any school authority for guidance, support or information, and receive more than they need, we know that we are making a fantastic, pro-equity effort in school.
As a student, I can see that teachers play a huge role in students’ lives, encountering them on a daily basis for multiple hours at a time, both inside and outside the classroom. By ensuring that teachers are also aware of these equity-related issues, we provide students with both an alternate source of potential support, coupled with a better education on the topic of equity. The efforts made by students outside the classroom are also vital in this plight for equity in schools, and certainly have an impact on their peers, but I believe that an all-encompassing approach would be much more efficient. By tackling this issue from every facet of the school, from staff to students to administration, school culture improves significantly and this makes a statement on how the school, as a whole, feels about equity. When a student can look to any school authority for guidance, support or information, and receive more than they need, we know that we are making a fantastic, pro-equity effort in school. Integrating it into classroom practices and potentially also into aspects of the curriculum would go a long way in reaching out to uninformed students. Adolescence in particular, is a difficult time for most students as it is; so ensuring that support and well-informed staff can always be found at school would make all the difference to many students who find themselves frustrated with equity-related issues. Students need to know about equity, and they need to know that their entire school community is there to support them – we cannot afford to ignore or improperly tend to these needs.
Related Education Canada article:
Meet the Expert(s)
Kareem Ibrahim
Kareem Ibrahim is a grade 12 student at Earl of March S.S. in Ottawa, Ontario, who is heavily involved in his community. Being a huge proponent of equity, Kareem advocates for positive change in this area of education to better the lives of his peers at school, both locally and provincially.
Read More
