Specialty schools

Our news & views

Specialty schools are schools that offered focussed programming in a particular subject area (eg. the Arts, sports, science) or from a particular perspective (eg. Africentric schools). In this section, you can learn more about these schools and the debate about their impact.

  • Is inequality growing in Canada’s public schools?

    The Globe and Mail reports that international research is unanimous about the inequities created by school choice. According to the OECD, there is growing social inequality and segregation in public schools.

  • Do specialty programs that require auditions create inequities?

    The York Region District School Board is considering shutting down an arts-based elementary program that requires auditions to get in. The change is being proposed in order to bring equity of access, consistency and inclusiveness to all schools.

  • Controversy around specialty schools

    Specialty schools can focus on the arts or math, or they can be geared toward struggling students. But are they good for public education as a whole?

  • New school for low-income students

    The Niagara District School Board announced it will start a specialty school for low-income students in 2011/12.

  • No quick fix for gender gap in education

    Based on the work of researchers from the Canadian Council on Learning, single-sex schools might not be the magic bullet that will bridge the success gap between boys and girls.