Is this about equity or "catching up"?

If it is about "catching up", so that children with fewer learning and environmental resources can do well, be successful, throughout their school years, then the research clearly shows that the emphasis needs to be on early learning programs, pre-kindergarten and up to grade 4. This is a budget issue, with nothing to do with specialized schools.

Specialized schools simply provide more options. If the this is about equity of access, then it is also ensuring that access is inclusive, which is both a budget issue and a location issue. This, too, is a budget issue with nothing to do with "catching up".

The end result of policy directions like the one proposed is increased shift of families with assets into private schools.