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Dear OISE Community,

On this July 1, I bring you greetings on my first day as Interim Dean of the Â鶹´«Ã½ (OISE).

Today, many of us are taking the time to reflect on the past, and on our future as a society. The recent discovery of the remains of over 1,300 Indigenous children who were removed from their families and communities to attend residential schools has challenged Canada’s identity as a model country in matters of human rights.

We at OISE are committed to the advancement of education for all. Yet the recent past has shown that although we are right to celebrate the teaching, learning and advocacy accomplishments of our community, plenty of critical issues remain to be addressed, for which each of us can contribute in our own way.

Enduring manifestations of racism and discrimination, with all their detrimental consequences, against Indigenous, Black and other groups of marginalized and racialized people, demands for collective acknowledgement and systemic change. Many other challenges, including the climate crisis and the current coronavirus pandemic, all remind us of how important education is for the attainment of a more humane and equitable society.

More than ever, we in the OISE community—faculty, students, staff and alumni —are called upon to contribute to a better society, and as Interim Dean, I look forward to working alongside you to help OISE advance this critical mission.

Sincerely,

Normand Labrie, PhD, FRSC, D.h.c.
Professor and Interim Dean

Â鶹´«Ã½
University of Toronto
252 Bloor Street West, Room 12-106
Toronto, Ontario
M5S 1V6
Canada

Phone: 416-978-2225
Email: normand.labrie@utoronto.ca
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