Ontario adding mandatory Black history learning to Grades 7, 8 and 10 history courses

Ontario’s education minister says that the province is introducing mandatory learning on the contributions of Black Canadians to history courses in Grades 7, 8 and 10.

Stephen Lecce says Black history is Canadian history and adding it as a mandatory part of the curriculum will ensure the next generation will better appreciate the sacrifices and commitments Black Canadians have made.

The province is launching consultations with historians, educators and the Black community to develop the curriculum additions, set to roll out in September 2025.

Patrice Barnes, the parliamentary assistant to the education minister, spearheaded the curriculum change and says she wants it to deepen students’ understanding of the country’s diverse and vibrant heritage.

Ontario’s Education Minister Stephen Lecce says “Black women and men played a defining role in this countries’ history.”

READ MORE: Hamilton Black-owned businesses speak on impact of Black History Month on sales

Starting next school year, students in grade 7 and 8 will learn about the contributions Black individuals made to build Canada from the 18th century to the 20th century pre-confederation.

In grade 10 history classes students will be educated on post world war two history and those who had a role in the advancement of civil human rights.

Erika Alexander, the granddaughter of Honourable Lincoln Alexander, says “I didn’t grow up having the access to learning Black history in the school system, I had to learn it on my own, whether it was through family and friends or the library it wasn’t something that was readily available to us.”

Alexander says her grandfather would be proud. He was the first Black Canadian member of parliament in 1968 as cabinet minister and lieutenant-governor of Ontario.

Erika Alexander recognizes that these changes will make something very accessible to them.

Deborah Buchanan-Walford has been a teacher for more than a decade and says this change will give students the opportunity to learn from credible sources and avoid being exposed to misinformation online.

READ MORE: Ontario preparing ‘back to basics’ curriculum for kindergarten

Buchanan-Walford says “the deconstructing of anti-black racism course that is taught in some school boards right now it’s only taught in grade 12” and “at that point it’s a lot of information to be learning as you’re leaving high school,” adding that learning at a younger age also helps to prevent Anti-Black racism.

“when you learn about someone, when you learn about their culture, we can avoid micro-aggressions, ‘why does your hair look like that?’, ‘why does your face look like that?’, you know ‘why do you sound like that?'” says Buchanan-Walford.

Buchanan-Walford welcomes the move but says it is just a start and calls for a mandatory African history or Afro-heritage history curriculum for all grades from kindergarten to grade 12.

However the changes don’t stop there. Buchanan-Walford says the province should provide adequate resources for teachers to deliver this curriculum correctly like lessons that are ready to go for the first roll-out and time for teachers to learn the content themselves.

Lecce has also recently announced a new “back to basics” kindergarten curriculum, new mandatory secondary school learning about the Holodomor famine and expanded teachings about the Holocaust.

As well, the government has introduced new math, language and science and technology curricula.