N.L. school material on immigration ‘very concerning’ and needs review, says minister

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. - A highschool social research course taught in Newfoundland and Labrador dangers leaving immigrant college students feeling humiliated and unwelcome, says a professor at Memorial College in St. John’s.

The Grade 9 course about Canadian id was developed in 2011 and consists of dangerous racist myths and misinformation about immigrants and refugees, mentioned Sobia Shaikh, co-chair of the Anti-Racism Coalition of Newfoundland and Labrador. CBC Information reported on the fabric within the course textbook on Monday.

For instance, the course curriculum linked from the provincial Division of Training’s web site says college students ought to talk about the “mind drain” challenge, together with the “disturbing pattern that Canadian emigrants to the US are greater than twice as more likely to maintain a college diploma than immigrants which might be coming into Canada.”

Course notes posted on-line itemizing arguments for and towards immigration embody claims that immigrants take jobs away from Canadians and that admitting extra refugees might encourage “folks smugglers.”

“I’m racialized, I’m brown, and I'd crawl in my pores and skin,” Shaikh mentioned in an interview. “It might internalize the sort of racist concepts and stereotypes and reinforce these for all folks. However for racialized folks, it’s significantly troubling … it could be humiliating, and also you’d need to distance your self.”

Among the concepts offered within the curriculum echo these underpinning white supremacist actions, she added.

Shaikh mentioned officers have to seek the advice of with specialists and develop an anti-racist curriculum framework after which attempt to rectify the hurt attributable to the fabric, which has been taught since 2011.

“I believe that there needs to be an precise marketing campaign by the federal government and by the Division of Training,” she mentioned. “They should apologize, to take accountability … to say, ‘Hey, look, this was a mistake. We've unfactual issues in our curriculum.’”

With a quickly ageing inhabitants and regular outmigration, Newfoundland and Labrador is the one province projected to see a gentle decline in inhabitants over the subsequent twenty years, in keeping with Statistics Canada. Which means immigration is vital to the province’s future, mentioned Tony Fang, an economics professor at Memorial College who has studied the experiences of latest Canadians working and looking for work in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Immigration ought to be mentioned in colleges, however not like this, Fang mentioned in an interview.

“The immigrants who're coming right here based mostly on sure standards like the purpose system … we now have proof suggesting these immigrants have a excessive degree of training — that’s fairly clear,” he mentioned in response to the “mind drain” subject. It makes “no sense” to border the difficulty that approach, and there's no knowledge within the curriculum or elsewhere to again up the claims in that framing, Fang mentioned.

“This province, Atlantic Canada included, has all the time been characterised as a pleasant neighborhood,” he mentioned. “However that’s not equal to welcoming.” Fang mentioned the province wants newcomers and a sturdy technique to retain them that ought to embody anti-racism insurance policies and coaching, developed in session with specialists. That coaching and session ought to clearly prolong to the varsity system, he mentioned.

Training Minister Tom Osborne mentioned he’s “very involved” in regards to the curriculum, including the concept that immigrants take jobs is particularly unfaithful in Newfoundland and Labrador, the place new Canadians have established many profitable companies which have created employment for many individuals within the province.

No scholar ought to ever really feel their belonging in a classroom or within the province is up for debate, he mentioned in an interview.

Osborne mentioned he’s open to any dialogue about how to make sure the curriculum is factual and displays the province’s values, including that any curriculum taking a look at immigration should keep in mind the province’s methods to welcome and retain newcomers. The most recent provincial price range features a purpose of welcoming 5,100 newcomers a 12 months by 2026.

“Our inhabitants is enriched by (immigration), our financial system is enriched by it and cultural experiences within the province are enriched by it,” he mentioned.

The course, nevertheless, will proceed to be delivered — at the very least for the rest of the varsity 12 months, Osborne mentioned. It’s “logistically not doable,” he defined, to halt it with the varsity 12 months half over, including that his division is taking a look at choices to alter it.

This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Jan. 18, 2022.