Local parent Rozanne Treger had expected to get her daughter into a Grade 10 applied math course in her York Region school come September.
Treger is one of many parents who have pushed for the York Region District School Board to bring back Grade 10 applied math after the board eliminated in a move toward destreaming. The board agreed last June to offer applied math on a case-by-case basis for struggling students, prioritizing those who failed in the previous school year.
But as the school year begins, Treger said it is still not clear how children can go for an applied math credit and options to enrol in the course are not in place.
“I’m feeling quite frustrated with the promises the school board made and haven’t delivered,” Treger said.
Dozens of parents have protested the policy implemented by the board last year. The province created a de-streamed Grade 9 math course in 2021, a move meant to address students getting unfairly pigeonholed in their academics. But YRDSB went a step further to de-stream Grade 10 math and history, and without a provincially made de-streamed course, only provided the more advanced academic course to students.
But many students did struggle with that option, and in the case of Treger’s daughter, she said that struggle was despite efforts to tutor and do after-school work. According to statistics from a freedom of information request sent to the board from Treger, Grade 10 academic math had a 9.7 per cent failure rate last school year in the first semester, compared to 4.1 per cent in the first semester of 2021-22 and 2.3 per cent in 2020-21.
Treger said she is concerned about the equity of only providing limited access to Grade 10 applied math and she and other parents are suggesting it be brought back more completely.
“There’s going to be another cohort of students who aren’t going to be able to obtain their credit,” she said. “That whole group of students that failed still aren’t going to be able to get their math credit. They’re going to be even further behind.”
NewmarketToday did not receive a reply to a request for comment from the school board before publication time.
At the June board of trustees meeting, interim director of education Scott Yake said the credit would be offered on a case-by-case basis to students who were struggling. The details of how the course might be offered were not fully available at the time, with staff indicating they would work on the plan through the summer.
The next YRDSB board of trustees meeting is Sept. 12.
Parents are turning to alternative options, Treger said, with some using private tutors or enrolling in the York Catholic District School Board. Unable to secure anything for her daughter for the fall semester, Treger said she has resorted to enrolling her daughter in private Grade 10 applied course on Tuesdays and Thursday nights, costing them about $1,200.
“It comes down to equity. It’s not going to be available for all students who need it,” Treger said.
