The number of Ontario schools offering before- and after-school care has jumped dramatically in the last six years — but families in the poorest neighbourhoods are less likely to benefit, a new report shows.While school boards must provide child care for elementary students where there is a demand, “there may not be equitable access to these vital programs across the province,” People for Education says in its annual report released Monday.“In 2018, schools with low parental education, and those with high levels of poverty, are less likely to have child care.” The findings, based on a survey of 1,244 principals from across the province, came as a surprise, said Annie Kidder, executive director of the research and advocacy group.Also striking was that child care isn’t the only example of how schools with more affluent and educated parent bodies appear to provide more opportunities for students, she said, suggesting parents’ “social capital” — their ability to advocate and influence — plays a big role.“You’re more likely to have a music teacher if you have fewer kids under the low-income cutoff, and you’re more likely to have child care in the well-off schools,” said Kidder. “That should not be the case.”The survey, which used census and Ministry of Education data to examine the relationship between students’ family background and school resources, found that elementary schools where parents are better educated and have more money are twice as likely to have a music teacher as schools where parental education is considered low.It found similar trends for specialist teachers in visual arts and drama.Promoting equal access to programs for all students has been a longtime focus of People for Education. The group has repeatedly highlighted how parent fundraising, used to pay for everything from guest artistic performers to iPads to air conditioners, is widening ...
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