No, Point Your Finger This Way

Human rights commissions are legalised vendetta systems, not means by which one may accurately place blame on poor literacy levels:

Troubling statistics around literacy rates among Ontario elementary school students have prompted a public inquiry into issues affecting those with reading disabilities, the province's human rights watchdog announced Thursday.

The Ontario Human Rights Commission said data from the province's Education Quality and Accountability Office suggest an alarming number of students are falling short of reading standards in elementary school, setting them up for lifelong struggles.

The Commission said Ontario's curriculum is based on outdated science and fails to properly support disabled students, which in turn deprives them of a fundamental skill.

"Learning to read is not a frill, it is not a privilege," chief commissioner Renu Mandhane said at a news conference. "It is a basic and essential skill. Learning to read is a human right."

Ontario Ministry of Education spokeswoman Alexandra Adamo said the government would review the inquiry's recommendations thoroughly, but did not respond to the commission's comments on the state of the provincial curriculum. 

Mandhane said the most recent data from the EQAO indicate 25 per cent of Ontario's Grade 3 students were falling short of provincial reading standards. For students with disabilities, the number soared to 53 per cent. EQAO data indicate those numbers have been relatively static since 2016.

Students struggling to read are more likely to fall behind academically, fail to graduate or drop out altogether, Mandhane said. She said those with reading disabilities are also over-represented in the homeless population and the justice system.

What are the parents doing? What are the well-compensated teachers doing? There are more bureaucrats than there are specially-trained educators who can deal with those with disabilities. Why?

Let's start there.