Canadian Nova Scotian Black learners in the Individualised Program Plan (IPP): intersectionality analysis and findings from a household survey

Abstract

ABSTRACT In the Canadian Nova Scotian education system, the Individualised Program Plan (IPP) is designed to support students for whom the public school programme curriculum outcomes are not applicable or attainable. Schools can also place students in IPP programmes based on their behaviour. For minority students, especially Blacks, evaluation reports indicate their over-representation in these programmes and, therefore, the need for this research. Through intersectionality analysis of a household survey, our study explores how students’ multiple identities impact their designation as IPP. Our analysis indicated that schools tend to place Black male/female students from non-immigrant households with low socioeconomic backgrounds in IPP programmes making students with these multiple identities the most vulnerable. We argue for an intersectionality framework to address this challenge and inform the implementation of the current Nova Scotia inclusive education policy.