'Geographic divide' leaves northern schools behind says advocacy group

A new report from the advocacy group People for Education says that students who go to school in northern Ontario are less likely to have access to resources such as music teachers, or counsellors.

The organization's annual report on Ontario's schools, released Thursday, focuses on a "geographic divide" in resources between urban/suburban schools, and their northern and rural counterparts, said executive director Annie Kidder. Currently, schools receive most of their funding based on enrolment numbers, she added.

"The funding as it works right now, just isn't working effectively, or as effectively as it should, we think, for those smaller schools in northern and rural Ontario," she said.

Superior Morning4:38Anner Kidder - Funding Formula

Annie Kidder of People for Education says northern Ontario schools are not getting as many resources as schools in more urban areas because the funding system favours bigger cities.

The report says that rural and northern elementary schools are less likely to have phys ed teachers, music teachers or librarians than their southern Ontario counterparts, and high schools are less likely to have guidance councellors.

Student in those areas are also less likely to have access to resources such as psychologists, or social workers, Kidder said, and the lack of resources is being felt by school boards.

"A number of the principles talked about the difficulty that they faced because their school is small, so they're less likely to have special education resources, for instance," Kidder said.

Kidder said she'd like to see a review of the current funding system for school boards in Ontario, in order to improve access to resources for rural and northern students.

The report also identifies some improvements in Ontario's education system, including a bigger focus on Indigenous education and cultural supports.