OHRC Right to Read Inquiry

The Ontario Human Rights Commission is conducting an in-depth public inquiry into reading instruction in Ontario public schools.

"Reading is the foundation for success in school, work and life. Learning to read is not a privilege, it is a human right. This inquiry will assess whether school boards use evidence-based approaches to meet their human rights obligations.”
- OHRC Former Chief Commissioner Renu Mandhane

The OHRC Right to Read report was released on February 28, 2022!

The report calls for critical changes to Ontario’s approach to early reading, in areas such as curriculum and instruction, screening, reading interventions, accommodations, and professional assessments.

Click HERE to find the Final Report, Executive Summary, Backgrounders, Right to Read video: It's Time for Change, a video of the Report release, and more.

In October 2019, the OHRC launched a year-long public inquiry to investigate how students with dyslexia may be facing systemic human rights violations in Ontario public schools.

The commission is consulting with a range of experts, reviewing curriculum and instructional materials, teacher training, and school board policies and procedures. The scope of the inquiry involves five areas of concern, as well as systemic and structural issues.

Thousands of parents, students, educators, and other professionals across the province were invited to share their experiences with OHRC before April 1st, 2020. The final report is now expected in fall 2021.

For more information, check the OHRC Right to Read page on the OHRC website.

Click here to read the Inquiry's Terms of Reference.

Scope of the Inquiry

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Universal Design for Learning is an educational approach used in classrooms to meet the diverse needs of students so that every student has access to learning. These are educational approaches/teaching methods that are "Necessary for Some, Beneficial For All".

The inquiry wants to see if the type of reading instruction currently offered in public schools meets the diverse needs of every student, and is being applied within Ontario’s reading curriculum and in-classroom teaching methods.

Mandatory early screening

Evidence-based reading intervention programs

Accommodation

Psycho-educational assessments

Other issues

The OHRC will also consider perspectives on definitions of learning disabilities and dyslexia, including whether these terms are appropriately used and understood.

The OHRC will also examine the unique challenges for students with reading disabilities who face other barriers such as living in poverty or being members of intersecting Code-protected groups [e.g. newcomer students, English-language learners (students who are learning English at the same time as they are learning the curriculum and developing a full range of literacy skills), racialized students, and students with Indigenous ancestry].

The inquiry will also recognize systemic and structural issues that may be contributing to human rights issues, including in the areas of teacher training; funding; oversight; monitoring and accountability, including appropriate assessment of student progress; data collection; and curriculum design. In addition to school boards, the OHRC may review the roles of various partners in the education sector, including but not limited to the Ministry of Education, faculties of education at Ontario universities, and the Ontario College of Teachers.

The OHRC may examine and report on any other issues relevant to meeting the needs of students with reading disabilities in the delivery of public education in Ontario.

Update

The OHRC Right to Read report was released on February 28, 2022!

It calls for critical changes to Ontario’s approach to early reading, in areas such as curriculum and instruction, screening, reading interventions, accommodations, and professional assessments.

Click HERE to find the executive summary, report, and videos.

The Inquiry has collected a large amount of data including a) thousands of online and phone submissions from students, parents, and educators, b) presentations made during public hearings and community meetings, and c) data and documents received from 8 representative selected school boards.

The video below is an update about the inquiry presented by the OHRC lawyers as part of IDA Ontario's parent conference on May 5, 2021.

*NEW* On November 1, 2021, the OHRC released its Submission to the K-12 Education Standards Development Committee on its 2021 initial recommendations report. This submission includes specific recommendations related to the Right to Read Inquiry, specifically, curriculum change, mandatory early screening, evidence-based reading interventions, professional assessment, and systemic issues. For details, see the link above.

Read IDA Ontario's Submission to the Right to Read Inquiry