Students were informed that the OCDSB ("the Board") cut a Grade 12 Dance class from the Canterbury Arts Dance program this year on Oct 14th, 2021. They cited lower enrolment at the school, and in this particular class, as a driving factor in this decision.

They also cited that it is not a compulsory class to graduate. Wrong – our students need this class to pursue post secondary dance programs. It provides extremely valuable experience to a student’s portfolio when applying to these programs.

We have requested that the Board reverse this decision and get this course back into the schedule for next semester.

So far, we’ve heard “there is nothing we can do”. We’ve heard the Board “considered” the impacts, but that they must abide by a district-wide averaging of class size as per the Ford government’s mandated ratio of 23:1. This course had 19 kids registered in it.

We’ve heard the decision is final.

This is fundamentally wrong. Canterbury is an Arts school. Cutting any Arts classes from the Arts high school in Ottawa seems unheard of. But it indicates the Board is simply paying lip service to the Arts and doesn’t truly value it.

This is a short term issue and they’ve made drastic narrowly focussed decisions without considering the longer term impact to the Dance program, or the larger Arts programming at Canterbury. 

What is this decision saying to the grade 9-11 Dance cohorts at Canterbury? That your classes are vulnerable to cuts: that they aren’t valued. 

So we can see much longer term issues here in terms of the viability of these types of Arts programs.

The Board has poisoned the well for Arts programming.

No one in a position to actually do something about this seems to be advocating for these students. So we will. And the community will. 

IMPACT ON STUDENTS

It is widely acknowledged the Pandemic has had serious impacts to the wellbeing of students, particularly at this age. And it seems their resiliency is once again being put to the test by a Board that simply does not get it.

They have spent a year and a half+ in their rooms and basements rarely seeing other people. They had to count how many people they could see at any given time. 
They could not work and they now don’t have money. Add another layer of stress - thinking about finances leading up to post secondary options. 

They have to wait for months and months to get their driver's license. More stress. 
They cannot go to post secondary campuses and experience what it might be like for them there - everything is virtual. More stress and anxiety. 

Their "Company" course is cancelled. Can I even graduate after all of this? More stress.

OTHER IMPACTS

The Arts programs at Canterbury do not receive any additional funding from the Board or from the provincial government to run. There is significant fundraising that is undertaken every year by parents and students to keep the lights on so to speak.

The dance pieces that are created in "the Company" class are performed at the end of the school year during a hugely popular annual event called “Dance Night”. This is a major fundraiser for the Dance program – the last Dance Night (2019) brought in over $25K to the Dance program.

So if the Board doesn’t see value in getting Company back on track, how do they propose to address those kinds of funding shortfalls?

It really feels like the Board is sending a message that it doesn’t value these programs.  

FINAL ASK

The Board is willingly failing these kids. Wringing their hands indicating there is nothing they can do is sending the message that “we aren’t willing to do what it takes to protect these classes.” 

So we are getting loud and taking this public. We want this class back in the schedule this year for these kids.