Congratulations to Faculty of Education graduate student Elie Ndala, recipient of a 2021-2022 Ricard Foundation scholarship. This award is given each year to francophone students living outside of Quebec. According to the history of the organisation: “The Foundation was born from the will and generosity of Mr. Baxter Ricard and Mrs. Alma Ricard. Their vision is rooted in a deep attachment to the Francophone and Canadian community...” M. Ndala is one of thirteen scholars to receive this award in 2021-2022.
A founding member of the Groupe d'action contre le racisme anti-Noir en éducation (GaCran), Mr. Ndala recently submitted his Master's thesis under the direction of Professor Phyllis Dalley and is pursuing his doctorate under her supervision at the Faculty. His research will focus on access to teaching for visible minority candidates by exploring diversity in education, inclusion within a plural Francophonie and the appropriation of skills and expertise in schools.
Research interests:
"My research interests focus on the socio-cultural and linguistic negotiations that legitimize (or not) professional practices and knowledge in the workplace, particularly in a minority Francophone context. In my Master's thesis, I argued that despite the massive promotion of immigration to Canada, even the most competent candidates are likely to be excluded from the labour market due to rules that are often implicit and unknown to the host community and its professional environment. Following studies in the sociology of education showing that school is a tool of social reproduction and considering the increasing diversity in classrooms, it will then be a question of examining the professional habitus of francophone teachers of international origin, in order to determine if the dispositions embodied in their practices meet the expectations of the host community or if these expectations need to be rethought."
- Elie Ndala, MEd