In what neighborhoods do a majority of kids attend private schools?

[UserNameToronto]

Here in Cabbagetown I'd say many send their kids to private schools.

Agree - it must be close to 50/50 private/public. I was surprised the private ratio was so high.

 

[prosperegal]

Agree - it must be close to 50/50 private/public. I was surprised the private ratio was so high.

I'm honestly not surprised. I live downtown(ish) and though I don't have kids yet, I will likely either consider private (including my alma mater if I have girls), French immersion (this also proves that "minority" parents will consider such programs - heh) or out-of-area attendance. I'm not 100% pleased with the catchment area school. However, I'm only basing it on EQAO scores.

 

[Admiral Beez]

TDSB has a policy of "optional attendance" (as well as some boutique programming) where students can enroll outside their catchment area. This is defended by some on the grounds that it keeps the professional class in the public school system, but it does have the effect of parents sending their kids to wealthier, whiter schools and has eroded the concept of the neighborhood school.

We send our kids to a French immersion program outside of the downtown core, but it's not to find a whiter crowd, but to get a more educationally involved and likeminded crowd. My kids' classes are about 25% or more minorities, with my kids's closest friends being muslim and non-white. As a child of the 1970s, I find it pleasantly remarkable how little notice my kids make of racial differences or identity, and how welcoming everyone is of each others' differences. Makes my school years 1976-1990 seem like Game of Thrones in comparison, running the gauntlet of homophobia, bullying, violence, etc.

 

[prosperegal]

We send our kids to a French immersion program outside of the downtown core, but it's not to find a whiter crowd, but to get a more educationally involved and likeminded crowd. My kids' classes are about 25% or more minorities, with my kids's closest friends being muslim and non-white. As a child of the 1970s, I find it pleasantly remarkable how little notice my kids make of racial differences or identity, and how welcoming everyone is of each others' differences. Makes my school years 1976-1990 seem like Game of Thrones in comparison, running the gauntlet of homophobia, bullying, violence, etc.

I wonder how many of the non-white kids are second generation - with parents who grew up in Canada (opposed to kids whose parents are "fresh off the plane"). I often find first gen Canadian born minorities (which I am one) are often ignored by media/seen as non-existent. I mean, people can't REALLY expect us to adhere to everything that is the "old country," do they? And those of us who grew up in the 80s and 90s are probably LESS "old country" than kids of immigrants from previous generations. I have found most of the criticism coming from boomer-aged men and women (mostly women, and mostly those who work in more "left wing" industries like social work) who are no more than three generations "off the boat." Could be that they're envious/resentful that we were "allowed" to be more "Canadianized" as kids. Or maybe because our parents were more educated and more likely in white-collar industries? But that's just my personal experience!

 

[Admiral Beez]

I wonder how many of the non-white kids are second generation - with parents who grew up in Canada (opposed to kids whose parents are "fresh off the plane"). I often find first gen Canadian born minorities (which I am one) are often ignored by media/seen as non-existent.

I can somewhat relate as a white, English-speaking immigrant like myself. Not that we need a leg up by any sense, but you'd think we didn't exist at all. We have no culture to fall back upon (especially us English, unlike Scots-Irish-Welsh) beyond a tea-drinking parody, slowly becoming POWP (plain old white people) without any cultural identity beyond the default Ameri-Canadian worker bee.

https://www.amazon.ca/Invisible-Immigrants-English-Canada-since/dp/0887557775

 

[wild goose chase]

I can somewhat relate as a white, English-speaking immigrant like myself. Not that we need a leg up by any sense, but you'd think we didn't exist at all. We have no culture to fall back upon (especially us English, unlike Scots-Irish-Welsh) beyond a tea-drinking parody, slowly becoming POWP (plain old white people) without any cultural identity beyond the default Ameri-Canadian worker bee.

https://www.amazon.ca/Invisible-Immigrants-English-Canada-since/dp/0887557775

I must say I have to disagree whenever I hear the sentiment that Americans, Canadians or more broadly speaking Anglosphere countries are lacking in "culture" compared to say, continental Europe, Asia etc. when in fact it's arguably one of the most successful globally we've ever seen (people all over the globe from Trinidad to Hong Kong get cultural elements and many of their institutions such as legal systems from British colonization/influence, and the world watches and listens to American music movies, pop culture etc.) Western/Anglo culture is so successful that other cultures often bemoan losing their culture to it (eg. people in places in the world that give up their traditional dress for western-style clothes).

It's in fact because of this success of western culture that we don't notice it, like fish don't notice water because it's all around.

 

[prosperegal]

I must say I have to disagree whenever I hear the sentiment that Americans, Canadians or more broadly speaking Anglosphere countries are lacking in "culture" compared to say, continental Europe, Asia etc. when in fact it's arguably one of the most successful globally we've ever seen (people all over the globe from Trinidad to Hong Kong get cultural elements and many of their institutions such as legal systems from British colonization/influence, and the world watches and listens to American music movies, pop culture etc.) Western/Anglo culture is so successful that other cultures often bemoan losing their culture to it (eg. people in places in the world that give up their traditional dress for western-style clothes).

It's in fact because of this success of western culture that we don't notice it, like fish don't notice water because it's all around.

That's true. And then when you or your family come from one of said colonies (e.g. mine via Hong Kong), certain "liberal-minded" people ponder why you're "so integrated." :Eyeroll: #personalexperience #NOTanecdotal #reallyannoying

 

[Johnny Au]

I must say I have to disagree whenever I hear the sentiment that Americans, Canadians or more broadly speaking Anglosphere countries are lacking in "culture" compared to say, continental Europe, Asia etc. when in fact it's arguably one of the most successful globally we've ever seen (people all over the globe from Trinidad to Hong Kong get cultural elements and many of their institutions such as legal systems from British colonization/influence, and the world watches and listens to American music movies, pop culture etc.) Western/Anglo culture is so successful that other cultures often bemoan losing their culture to it (eg. people in places in the world that give up their traditional dress for western-style clothes).

It's in fact because of this success of western culture that we don't notice it, like fish don't notice water because it's all around.

Beez even mentioned an example of a recent television series based on a novel series by an American as well a few posts earlier.

Don't forget the influence of Japanese popular culture in the West as well.

 

[Admiral Beez]

I must say I have to disagree whenever I hear the sentiment that Americans, Canadians or more broadly speaking Anglosphere countries are lacking in "culture" compared to say, continental Europe, Asia etc. when in fact it's arguably one of the most successful globally we've ever seen (people all over the globe from Trinidad to Hong Kong get cultural elements and many of their institutions such as legal systems from British colonization/influence, and the world watches and listens to American music movies, pop culture etc.) Western/Anglo culture is so successful that other cultures often bemoan losing their culture to it (eg. people in places in the world that give up their traditional dress for western-style clothes).

Yes, but that's a wider scope than I'm referring to. I identify as English, not British. British is a passport, English is a definable ethnicity or people, like Han Chinese. It is the English culture that's essentially vanished in my experience. People of Scottish, Welsh, Australian, Irish, and some regional Americans seem to have a greater sense of celebration and identification with their cultural backgrounds than us English.

 

[prosperegal]

Yes, but that's a wider scope than I'm referring to. I identify as English, not British. British is a passport, English is a definable ethnicity or people, like Han Chinese. It is the English culture that's essentially vanished in my experience. People of Scottish, Welsh, Australian, Irish, and some regional Americans seem to have a greater sense of celebration and identification with their cultural backgrounds than us English.

I often wonder how much Chinese culture Chinese Canadians REALLY identify with. Less than many multi-gen Canadians think - at least in my family. I mean, we do some of the major holidays/traditions (e.g. Lunar New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival and a small handful of customs relating to births (e.g. the "full moon" presentation) and marriage (tea ceremony), but I'm not sure if we do much else. Same with people I grew up with.