October 2008
Dedicated to Preserving Family Values
P.O. Box 66714, 38 King Street East,
Stoney Creek, ON CANADA L8G 5E6
| School board comes 'Out of the Closet' |
The following is a letter to Editor published this past summer. It is helpful in helping us to understand the requirements of the Public School Board to accommodate people of all faiths.Editorial June 2, 2008The contributors of this editorial have clearly picked their side on this issue; unfortunately they do not have a true picture of the events as they happened. This is understandable given the information the board presented.For example, the report of the two by-invitation events is true, but what was not reported were the results of those events. One of the events was an invitation to individuals to provide written submissions to the Steering Committee regarding the draft of the Sexual Orientation Strand of the Equity Policy. 38 submissions were received; 6 supporting, 32 opposed (85%). The second of the events was an invitation for agencies to make video recorded presentations to the board regarding the Strand. 7 presentations were given: 1 supporting, 6 opposed (85%). The Equity Department's presentation on June 2 did point out the two events but did not mention the results, so the public misconception is understandable. However, it is the closing 2 sentences of the Editorial which is most troubling and revealing about the writers. "However, we believe the best venue for teaching children religious values is in the home and church. Religious tenets of any nature must never creep into our public school system." That statement shows a great misunderstanding of the requirements of the public education system and its responsibility to all of the public. The courts ruled in the Elgin County case that public education not be dominated by any one faith. The message was that the public system was to accommodate people of all faiths including humanists, not only humanists. No doubt in this world there are those who believe that various sexual orientations are inborn, natural and of no consequence while others believe that sexual activity outside the 'union of one man and one woman' is problematic. The public system must now find a way in which to accommodate both views and allow for open dialogue at all times or simply not deal with the divisive issue of sexual orientation at all. Perhaps they may consider the teaching of reading, writing and arithmetic along side of 'do unto others', or would that be a religious tenet creeping into the public system? Jim Enos Member of Sexual Orientation Steering Committee |
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