Diana Burchell – The Conversation

In a research study on the accessibility of French immersion, one parent was told she faced a three-year wait to access reading supports for her child. (Andrew Ebrahim/Unsplash)

January 30, 2024

Schools have a long way to go to offer equitable learning opportunities, especially in French immersion

Diana Burchell, University of Toronto; Becky Xi Chen, University of Toronto; Elizabeth Kay-Raining Bird, Dalhousie University, and Roksana Dobrin-De Grace, Toronto Metropolitan University

Parents in a study about the accessibility of French immersion programs discussed inadequate support for learning to read and feeling pressured to pay for expensive tutors.

Researchers found that the oldest child in Syrian refugee families has the most responsibility and the lowest English knowledge compared to peers. (Kilarov Zaneit/Unsplash)

August 22, 2021

Why the oldest child in Syrian refugee families needs the most urgent support, and what schools can do

Diana Burchell, University of Toronto; Becky Xi Chen, University of Toronto; Jermeen Baddour, University of Toronto, and Redab Al-Janaideh, University of Toronto

Schools can focus on collaboration between teachers and students to wrap a system of support around children who need it the most.

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