Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.
Almost a year after a Hamas attack on Israel shook the Middle East and sparked a conflict that continues to reverberate around the world, the Ontario government is giving school boards strict instructions on how to mark the October 7 anniversary.
A memo sent to school boards across the province, obtained by Global News, warns that the government will pay close attention to how educators handle the one-year anniversary and how schools deal with the continued increase in intolerance.
“As we approach one year since the October 7th attack, we ask all school boards across the state to uphold this principle and be vigilant in ensuring that classrooms remain safe, inclusive and welcoming for all students and staff,” Education Minister Jill Dunlop wrote in a note to school boards.
The memo instructs school boards to focus on learning and contains a stern warning about the minister’s “expectation” in state classrooms about the nature of any discussions about world events.
“Our schools and school-related activities should never be used as vehicles for political protests that enable inflammatory, discriminatory and hateful content,” Dunlop said in the memo.
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“While everyone is entitled to their own political opinions, they have no right to spread political prejudices into our classroom,” the memo said.
The ministerial memo comes amid an ongoing debate at the Toronto District School Board after a class trip to attend a demonstration drew criticism.
Ontario’s education minister has asked for an investigation into a now-controversial field trip to Toronto that saw students involved in a protest in the city.
Dunlop ordered an investigation into last Wednesday’s field trip to attend an action day for the Grassy Narrows First Nation and the TDSB said it has launched its own investigation.
Some parents and other groups, however, complained that the trip had veered away from education and towards protest and activism.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford blasted the board for the way the trip played out – and accused some educators of planning to “indoctrinate” students.
“I think it’s outrageous – you’re trying to indoctrinate our children,” he said, claiming the protest had been a “Palestinian rally” in Toronto.
Dunlop’s memo, sent Thursday, said the province is experiencing “a distressing increase in intolerance, racism, anti-Semitism, and Islamophobia across Ontario, including our schools” and asked boards to create “safe spaces for students and staff. “
“I expect that all school boards will hold themselves accountable to the highest standards under the Ontario Code of Conduct and govern with respect, civility and responsible citizenship to ensure that schools are free from discrimination and harassment in every corner of the state,” the memo reads.
& copy 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
(Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
source link https://globalnews.ca/news/10777805/ontario-october-7-anniversary-school-board-memo/
