Conference Program

This paper shows how a policy designed to enhance democracy in Canada’s largest school district was challenged - and ultimately undone - by New Right actors at the local and provincial levels in Ontario, Canada. The paper presents findings from a critical policy study (Molla, 2021) of debates over a policy change made by elected members (i.e., trustees) of the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), a change designed to enhance equity by increasing access to specialized programs for historically marginalized students.

The study was grounded in theories of network governance (Ball, 2009), argumentative discourse (Hajer, 2006), and critical democracy (Solomon & Portelli, 2001). Data include: transcripts from TDSB meetings; TDSB policy texts; elected officials’ social media posts; Ontario government texts; and news reports. Argumentative discourse analysis (Hajer, 2006) was used to identify arguments made by actors for and against the policy change. As discussed below, New Right members of the coalition advocating a return to ‘merit-based’ competition for admission prevailed due to the provincial government’s takeover of the democratically elected school board.

Findings:

In 2022, the TDSB changed its policy on how students would be admitted to its specialized (e.g., Arts, STEM) programs. The board’s data showed some groups were overrepresented in these programs while others were underrepresented. The imbalances were attributed in part to admissions processes involving assessments of ability that advantaged affluent students. The policy change removed these mechanisms and enabled anyone with an interest in the programs to apply. It also prioritized admission to students from historically underrepresented groups.

A school board election was held shortly after the policy change was introduced, with some new trustees vowing to restore the previous admissions policy. In calling for a return to “merit-based” admissions, these and other opponents argued the new policy undermined “excellence” and hurt hard-working, talented students. They also questioned the legitimacy of consultations held before the change. Opponents spoke at board meeting as individual citizens and trustees, but some were also affiliated with local neoconservative organizations and/or liaised with members of Ontario’s New Right government led by Doug Ford, a neoliberal populist (Budd 2020). Ford’s government has introduced multiple policies that undermine democratic education in name of the “choice” and “merit” since 2018 (Di Giovanni & Parker, 2024; Satia & Dej, 2026).

In Spring 2024, Ontario’s Minister of Education (a member of Ford’s government) intervened in the local debate, instructing trustees to review the policy change and launch a policy consultation. Calling for a new consultation on TDSB’s admissions policy positioned the Minister of Education as an advocate for democracy while he actively undermined it.

The TDSB planned to launch public consultations in Summer 2025. However, before it could the Ford government took over the democratically elected school board and appointed a supervisor. A TDSB trustee and new admissions policy opponent praised the takeover. One of the supervisor’s first moves was to re-instate competitive admissions to the TDSB’s specialized programs. Ontario’s Minister of Education praised the return to “a fair admissions process…based on merit” (Calandra, 2025).