EDITORIAL: Getting the politics out of school trips

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Ontario education minister Jill Dunlop has ordered a provincial probe into the Toronto District School Board “field trip” that ended up at a pro-Palestinian rally recently.

This is a welcome move, as TDSB was dragging its feet. All the same, we expect powerful teacher unions will fight any disciplinary action taken against their members.

A troubling trend has emerged recently of out-of-control school boards and educators attempting to become the moral and political arbiters of right and wrong. In so doing, they undermine parental authority.

Toronto Sun reporter Bryan Passifiume reported students as young as eight were taken on a “field trip” to “observe” a protest about water quality at Grassy Narrows First Nation.

Some were told to wear blue, representing “settlers.” One student who said she felt uncomfortable was reportedly told, ‘You’ll get over it.’

The demonstration quickly became pro-Palestinian, with organizers leading marchers in anti-Israel chants. Independent sources told the Sun that some students came home with “Zionism Kills,” stickers, reportedly handed out by some TDSB teachers.

This is unacceptable, but speaks to a wider issue. A public school system is just that: public. Students arrive at the classroom from a variety of cultures and religions. It isn’t up to a teacher to tell a child their beliefs don’t matter.

Left-leaning school boards and activist teachers have shown a worrying propensity to stick their noses where they don’t belong. Several provincial premiers are bringing in legislation requiring parental involvement before a child can change their gender identity at school. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith will introduce legislation in October that will require parental consent for any child under 16 to change their pronouns in school.

There’s been knee-jerk pushback from teacher unions and activists. Alberta Teachers’ Association President Jason Schilling says teachers are worried about the new rules.

“It does definitely have a bit of a dark cloud hanging over things,” he told the Canadian Press. The incident at the Toronto school demonstrated a shocking lack of judgment by teachers and other educators. We need teachers to teach, not indoctrinate students with their own prejudices.

How can we put activist teachers in sole custody of our children’s most intimate sexual identities when they can’t even run a field trip without stoking fear and divisiveness?