Toronto: A new global city of learning Journal Articles uri icon

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abstract

  • Toronto, Canada, is emblematic of a new stratum of global cities. Unlike many world capitals, the city has gained stature only over the past half century, having successfully post-industrialized into a new economy and become a major world centre for immigration. Paradoxically, education has emerged as both a major driver of change and a divider of social wellbeing in the city. To interpret this paradox, we discuss: (1) how Toronto is a node in a global education policy network, particularly as an exporter of equity-oriented reforms; (2) how the city's own school system reflects ongoing tensions between forward-looking ideals and its own historical legacies; and (3) how goals of integration are being challenged by new pressures for educational differentiation, which are themselves driven by competing conceptions of multiculturalism and movements for school choice.

publication date

  • January 1, 2016