Our board has worked diligently to mobilize efforts to serve Syrian newcomers and communicate across departments within our district through the development of the Inspire Hope action team. We meet frequently to give updates from areas such as special education, mental health, social work, teaching and learning, communications, and community and settlement services in order to take inventory of existing supports and services, identify potential needs or areas that require funding, ensure coordination of services, and reduce barriers for new families, such as, for example, the waiving of certain fees.
When the influx of newcomer students was at its peak, senior leadership met weekly as a contingency team to examine critical issues and determine supports. Their actions to meet these extraordinary needs are swift and supportive, thanks to the funding from the provincial government that has been made available in partnership from the federal government.
In Peel, we continue to provide vibrant academic programming using the available resources. However, it is still important to note that ESL programs in elementary schools historically have been underfunded due to a provincial funding formula that does not adequately meet the needs of English-language learners in our board.
The Peel board has tremendous expertise in working with children and families of various immigrant backgrounds. However, most of the new students from Syria have very different programming needs than English-language learners we have served in the last several years. Most of the students in grades 3 and up have large gaps in education due to limited prior schooling. As a result, they require more intensive programs in order to accelerate their learning. This reality presents new learning and new demands for classroom teachers, ESL teachers, and school administrators.
The students who are in grades 9 to 12 are being supported by our regional English literacy development programs, and these sites need long-term support to serve these students. Within these sites, there is a group of students at high risk: older youths from 17 to 21 years old. A strategy and subsequent funding is necessary to meet their unique needs, as many have to work to support their families. Dialogue with post-secondary institutions is required to develop apprenticeship learning and trades programs with an ESL component so that students are able to secure skilled employment.
Despite all of this infusion of support, Syrian newcomers have multiple complex needs, and given that most have beginner-level English literacy skills, we need additional supports to serve these families in a timely and effective manner.