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TORONTO – The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) released a two-year update on the Right to Read Inquiry report (R2R/Inquiry report), in collaboration with Dyslexia Canada.
The Inquiry report, which was released on February 28, 2022, was the first of its kind in Canada and called for critical changes to Ontario’s approach to teaching early reading. The Inquiry concluded that Ontario was systematically failing to meet its obligation to ensure that all students have access to the instruction and support they need to learn to read.
"Educators have worked diligently to further their learning and support colleagues in making essential changes," said Patricia DeGuire, Chief Commissioner, Ontario Human Rights Commission. "Yet, we are mindful that we are just at the beginning of a marathon, one that spans a lifetime and may impact our children for generations. Only with a foundational, cultural change within education will Ontarians fully achieve the goals of the Right to Read."
The two-year update highlights important changes to the education system including:
- Ontario revised the Grade 1 to 9 language curriculum and instructional guides to reflect the recommendations in the report in both English and French. The new language curriculum was designed to improve early reading instruction and reduce the need for intervention.
- Ontario issued a policy/program memorandum that mandates early reading screening every year for all students in Kindergarten to Grade 2 students beginning in September 2024.
- The Ministry of Education is developing a French-language reading intervention program.
"The changes resulting from the Right to Read Inquiry have been transformative, shifting the province to a proactive approach to preventing reading difficulties," said Alicia Smith, Executive Director, Dyslexia Canada. "However, there remains much to be done, particularly in meeting the needs of older students with dyslexia. Ensuring that these students are properly identified and supported is our next crucial step toward true educational equity."
Some recommendations that have not seen enough progress include:
- Teacher education and additional qualification courses
- Accommodations
- Professional assessments.
The responsibility of ensuring children realize the right to read is a shared one between the province, school boards and educators, along with teachers’ unions, the Ontario College of Teachers, and Faculties of Education. The OHRC calls on all partners in the education system to work together to ensure that every child realizes their right to read.
Quick Facts
- The OHRC made over 150 recommendations for systemic changes for Ontario to meet its human rights obligations to students. The recommendations provide a blueprint to make sure the one million children in Ontario who annually require systematic and explicit instruction get what they need to learn to read.
- Students from historically disadvantaged groups, including those with dyslexia and other disabilities, students from lower-income backgrounds, Black and other racialized students, First Nations, Métis and Inuit students and multilingual students are disproportionately affected by access to the supports needed to learn to read.
- The OHRC’s landmark report influenced other jurisdictions across Canada to re-examine approaches to teaching reading, as well as inspiring human rights commissions in Manitoba and Saskatchewan to launch similar initiatives.
Media contact:
Adewonuola Johnson – Issues and Media Relations Officer
Ontario Human Rights Commission
Email: adewonuola.johnson@ohrc.on.ca