The Impact of Poverty on the Distribution of Educational Resources in Ontario: New Data and Implications for Policy

• In Event: Roundtable Session 90
  In Roundtable Session: Hot-Button Issues in Changing Times

Abstract

Research on poverty and education in Ontario includes no recent provincial studies on how educational resources are distributed. Survey data from a representative sample of schools across the province was matched with school-level data about the percentage of low income students. In high poverty schools in Ontario, the average level of poverty is 43%; in low poverty schools, it is 0.6%. High poverty schools fundraise at less than half the level of low poverty schools. Special education rates are comparable but waitlists in low poverty schools were less than half that of high poverty schools. The percentage of children not receiving mandated services was double. These gaps challenge the notion the education system is providing substantive equality to disadvantaged students.

Authors

• Kelly A. Gallagher-Mackay, People for Education

• Annie Kidder, People for Education

• Fei Wang, University of Toronto - OISE

• Lindsay Cornish, People for Education

• Laurie Matheson, People for Education

• Gay Stephenson, People for Education