Human Rights Win: Highlighting Caste Recognition For Toronto Students and Staff
March 9th, 2023
Dalit Rights are Human Rights. Justice For All Canada celebrates a human rights milestone achieved by our Canadian diaspora partners in the Dalit and Adivasi communities.
We are grateful to SADAN (South Asian Dalit Adivasi Network) for petitioning the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) to formally recognize caste discrimination in its policies and commit to working towards caste equity. We also thank most trustees for supporting the landmark motion.
“Student experiences continue showing us the impact of transporting caste oppression into Canada’s diaspora. Thankfully by including caste oppression in TDSB policies, the board joins leading North American schools to create equitable learning opportunities for all students,” said Taha Ghayyur, Executive Director of Justice For All Canada.
Justice For All Canada also endorsed this motion, urging the TDSB to approve it on March 8th, 2023.
How Caste Impacts Canadian Students
Caste discrimination exists in Canada’s South Asian diaspora, including education systems. Dalit and caste-oppressed students, staff, and families actively experience casteism in public schools. According to students with lived experiences, caste violence is experienced in the classroom, school hallways, playgrounds, parent-teacher meetings and TDSB celebrations.
The idea that Dalit and caste-oppressed students or staff are not part of the TDSB, or that casteism is not relevant, is in itself casteist. This sentiment erases the experiences of Dalit and caste-oppressed students and communities in the TDSB.
Caste discrimination permeates all aspects of society, including but not limited to workplaces, housing, child welfare and extracurricular activities. Without Canadian schools formally acknowledging caste as a protected category, school board officials have been unable to understand or address the issue.
Justice For All Canada argues that students shouldn’t face this discrimination in Canada. The TDSB’s current Multi-Year Strategic Plan commits to leadership development in equity and anti-oppression. Addressing caste oppression is critical in realizing this strategic priority to work toward equity for all students, staff, and communities in the TDSB.
Background: Caste Oppression
Caste is a system of exclusion that ranks people at birth into a hierarchy based on alleged ritual purity and pollution. It affects over 1.9 billion people around the world. Dalits are one group reclaimed by caste-oppressed community members. Dalit students experiencing discrimination due to casteism have pushed US and Canadian education institutions to address caste oppression in recent years. Some of these schools include Carleton University, Harvard University and UC Berkeley.
Caste discrimination is rarely reported due to stigma, lack of knowledge, and handling practices. In the wake of rising concerns about school safety and mental health, it is critical to recognize that caste oppression causes immense trauma and negative mental health impacts.
Dalit Rights are Human Rights. Justice For All Canada celebrates a human rights milestone achieved by our Canadian diaspora partners in the Dalit and Adivasi communities.
We are grateful to SADAN (South Asian Dalit Adivasi Network) for petitioning the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) to formally recognize caste discrimination in its policies and commit to working towards caste equity. We also thank most trustees for supporting the landmark motion.
“Student experiences continue showing us the impact of transporting caste oppression into Canada’s diaspora. Thankfully by including caste oppression in TDSB policies, the board joins leading North American schools to create equitable learning opportunities for all students,” said Taha Ghayyur, Executive Director of Justice For All Canada.
Justice For All Canada also endorsed this motion, urging the TDSB to approve it on March 8th, 2023.
How Caste Impacts Canadian Students
- In the TDSB, 22% of students identify as South Asian – the second largest demographic group on the board.
- Caste oppression impacts caste-oppressed descent students from South Asia who call Toronto home, including students from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Malaysia, the Caribbean, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.
Caste discrimination exists in Canada’s South Asian diaspora, including education systems. Dalit and caste-oppressed students, staff, and families actively experience casteism in public schools. According to students with lived experiences, caste violence is experienced in the classroom, school hallways, playgrounds, parent-teacher meetings and TDSB celebrations.
The idea that Dalit and caste-oppressed students or staff are not part of the TDSB, or that casteism is not relevant, is in itself casteist. This sentiment erases the experiences of Dalit and caste-oppressed students and communities in the TDSB.
Caste discrimination permeates all aspects of society, including but not limited to workplaces, housing, child welfare and extracurricular activities. Without Canadian schools formally acknowledging caste as a protected category, school board officials have been unable to understand or address the issue.
Justice For All Canada argues that students shouldn’t face this discrimination in Canada. The TDSB’s current Multi-Year Strategic Plan commits to leadership development in equity and anti-oppression. Addressing caste oppression is critical in realizing this strategic priority to work toward equity for all students, staff, and communities in the TDSB.
Background: Caste Oppression
Caste is a system of exclusion that ranks people at birth into a hierarchy based on alleged ritual purity and pollution. It affects over 1.9 billion people around the world. Dalits are one group reclaimed by caste-oppressed community members. Dalit students experiencing discrimination due to casteism have pushed US and Canadian education institutions to address caste oppression in recent years. Some of these schools include Carleton University, Harvard University and UC Berkeley.
Caste discrimination is rarely reported due to stigma, lack of knowledge, and handling practices. In the wake of rising concerns about school safety and mental health, it is critical to recognize that caste oppression causes immense trauma and negative mental health impacts.