Toronto’s school board has approached a provincial human rights organization for assistance in developing a framework to address the issue, becoming the first in Canada to acknowledge caste discrimination in the city’s schools.
On Wednesday, the Toronto District School Board approved a proposal to that effect that was made by board member Yalini Rajakulasingam. The resolution received votes from 16 trustees, and 5 trustees opposed it.
The action deals with a subject that is significant to the South Asian diaspora in the area, especially the Indian and Hindu groups. By a city council resolution, Seattle became the first American city to forbid caste discrimination a few weeks prior.