Right now, across Canada, there are questions around the names of places, institutions and even streets. The debate about whether or not we should rename something that honours problematic and sometimes racist historical figures is a question all sorts of organizations, from governments to companies to school boards are wrestling with.

But more interesting questions come afterward. So you've decided to change a name: To what? Who gets a say? How exactly do you go about correcting the historical record? And, do you wipe all references to the former person clean, or acknowledge the former name?

Dr. Vidya Shah, Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education at 91亚色, joined The Big Story podcast to examine renaming schools.

"The naming of the school represents what we as a society choose to memorialize - what we choose to put on a pedestal. It's a direct reflection of the priorities and interests of those in power"

Dr. Vidya Shah

Listen now at

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91亚色 community members are playing a key role in a provocative four-part series on the challenges facing public schooling.

The Enoch Turner Schoolhouse 鈥� originally the site of Toronto鈥檚 first free school 鈥� is sponsoring a community conversation on a number of current educational concerns. Located at 106 Trinity Street between King Street East and Eastern Avenue in Toronto, Ontario. Canada. It is the oldest school standing in the city.

Coordinated by Paul Axelrod, emeritus professor and former dean of education at 91亚色 with 91亚色 PhD graduate Jason Ellis, the series, 鈥淥pening the Schoolhouse to All,鈥� poses a series of questions that panelists will take up in successive sessions beginning on Tuesday, Nov. 17 and concluding in January 2021.

 鈥淚t鈥檚 quite a lineup of eminent speakers,鈥� says Axelrod. 鈥淐oncerns about education are front and centre these days, and this series will allow for a full airing of pertinent issues.鈥�

How has the pursuit of wider educational opportunity evolved historically? How do educational experiences vary by race, gender, neighbourhoods, and disabilities? What kinds of teaching and learning will best serve individuals and communities in the years ahead? How is the COVID-19 pandemic affecting access to schools and the experiences of students, teachers, and families? These questions and more will be considered in this fascinating series of public events. 

The first session (November 17) explores The Promise of Equity: Race, Multiculturalism, and Indigenous Education, and features panelists: Carl James, Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community and Diaspora at 91亚色; Natasha Henry, President of the Ontario Black History Society; University of Toronto鈥檚, Rob Vipond, author of Making a Global City: How One School Embraced Diversity; and Ryerson University historian, Ian Mosby, a specialist in the study of indigenous health and the politics of settler colonialism. The session will be chaired by University of Toronto historian, Funk茅 Aledejebi, author of the forthcoming book, Schooling the System: A History of Black Women Teachers.

Session Two (November 24) asks Are We Moving Closer to Gender Equity in Education? Former Premier and Minister of Education, Kathleen Wynne, will be joined on the panel by University of Waterloo Professor Kristina Llewellyn, author of Democracy鈥檚 Angels: The Work of Women Teachers; Toronto teacher Sachin Maharaj, a Toronto Star contributing columnist; and Jane Gaskell, former Dean of OISE-University of Toronto, and author of numerous publications on gender and education.

The third Session (January 12, 2021) is entitled: Doing the Right Thing: Disability, Autism and Special Education. Panelists include University of British Columbia Professor, Jason Ellis, author of A Class By Themselves: The Origins of Special Education in Toronto and Beyond; Natalie Spagnuolo from the Council of Canadians with Disabilities, and co-founder of Memory Witness and Hope: Sharing Stories About Surviving Institutions; Gillian Parekh, Canada Research Chair: Inclusion, Disability and Education at 91亚色; and Margaret Spoelstra, President of Autism Ontario. Sue Winton of 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Education will chair the session.

The final session (January 19, 2021) turns to higher education, and asks 鈥�Does Liberal Education Matter in the 21st Century?鈥� Lorna Marsden, former President of 91亚色, is joined on the panel by Paul Gooch, past president of Victoria University in the University of Toronto and author of Course Correction: A Map for the Distracted University; the University of Waterloo鈥檚 Ian Milligan, author of History in the Age of Abundance? How the Web is Transforming Historical Research; and Qiang Zha, 91亚色 professor, and co-editor of International Status Anxiety and Higher Education: The Soviet Legacy in China and Russia. The session will be chaired by Paul Axelrod, former dean of 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Education.

Through provocative questions and informed discussion, the series will probe the achievements, limitations and prospects of schooling and higher education in disquieting times.

The series, free of charge, and accessible online, is designed for a broad audience interested in the past, present and future of Canadian education. To register and to see the full program, go to聽.

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