[christiesplits]

It seems like economic progress supersedes social progress out there in Wild Rose country. Or am I just being a nitpicky lefty heathenistic Torontonian?

Thoughts.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/06/02/alberta-human-rights-school-gay-education-law.html

Alberta passes law allowing parents to pull kids out of class

Written notice required when sex, sexual orientation, religion are covered


Alberta legislators passed legislation early Tuesday that will give parents the option of pulling their children out of class when lessons on sex, religion or sexual orientation are being taught.

The Alberta legislature held a seven-hour debate on Bill 44 Monday night before it passed third and final reading about 1:30 a.m. MT (3:30 a.m. ET) Tuesday.

A clause in the bill, which is an amendment to the province's human rights legislation, requires that school boards give parents written notice when controversial topics are going to be covered in the curriculum. Parents can then ask for their child to be excluded from the discussion.

There will be no restrictions placed on casual classroom discussions that might arise about the topics.

The parental rights clause is included in a bill intended to enshrine gay rights in Alberta's human rights code.

But the buried clause had drawn objections from teachers, schools boards and human rights groups, who argued Bill 44 makes it possible for parents to file human rights complaints against teachers and school districts, creating a chill with regard to what is taught in the classroom.

Critics had argued the clause should be scrapped and the issue should be dealt with under the Schools Act rather than being enshrined as a human right.

A small group of gay rights activists held a rally outside the legislature in Edmonton to oppose the bill on Monday.

The government has said the effects of the legislation on the education system will be minimal and is meant to allow parents to be more involved in their children's schooling.

Attention must now shift to making sure the legislation is implemented in the best possible way for teachers and schools, said Alberta School Boards Association President Heather Welwood.

"We want to nail down exactly what's required for notification — when it's required, exactly on what topics it's required, how often, and we'll be seeking our own legal advice … on that," Welwood said.

Frank Bruseker, president of the Alberta Teachers' Association, said he's advised the group's lawyers to prepare to defend any teachers who are brought before the human rights tribunal.

"We'll need to review curricula right across all subjects and all grades to see where there might be a minefield, if you will, that a teacher might step in and suddenly find themselves in deep trouble," Bruseker said.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Well, makes you wonder why race and gender isn't on that list - guess they limited amount of cajones to do so much...

AoD

 

[TOinTO]

It's revealing that the usual vocal opponents of Human Rights Commissions are silent on this expansion of their powers to harass speech in Alberta. Ezra Levant is too busy fawning over Stephan Harper.

Basically, the onus is on the schools to inform parents of matters the parents may find religiously significant and the school/teacher can be dragged before a commission if they fail to do so. It's an invitation for harassing complaints.

Parents already have the right to home school or private school their kids. Alberta has public funding of religious schools. Now secular public schools are on watch not to offend religious conservatives.

Not much room left for secular education in that Province.

 

[Brian69]

This is rather topical as we just finished doing sex ed for health class today where I work.

It's ridiculous for this legislation to pass as it puts a chill on educators doing their job in informing students, especially at the high school level where kids really need to know about sexual orientation, sex ed and religion as these issues affect them directly. Human Rights commissions have already tarnished their rather respectable origins by trying to practise social engineering rather than doing their proper job of addressing discriminatory practices.

Clearly the religious right in Alberta have quite a lot of pull to get this passed, but most here will not be surprised by this. But in the interest of fairness parents can also pull their kids out of sex education classes (for religious reasons) here in the GTA as well. I would also add in the interests of fairness that the majority of parents who do so where I work are not evangelical Christians.

 

[Prometheus The Supremo]

so when the kids educated in such a system grow up and enter the workforce, will their employers be obligated to accommodate their views and create a separate work environment for them where they will be free from sinful people? will they be allowed to refuse service to or interact with women who wear slutty clothes (god bless them), gays, people wearing different religious gear or the godless?

some people are unemployable because they unwillingly suffer from a disability and these guys are deliberately disabling them selves.

 

[CodeMonkey]

One step forward, three steps back.

That's all I'm going to say.

 

[Hydrogen]

so when the kids educated in such a system grow up and enter the workforce, will their employers be obligated to... create a separate work environment for them where they will be free from sinful people?

On this point, one can only hope so.

 

[299 bloor call control.]

One step forward, three steps back.

That's all I'm going to say.

But sadly, they never even took that one step forward.

 

[urbanfan89]

What happened to all the right-wingers who complain about Human Rights Commissions being used by an ideological government to shove their agenda down the throats of public life?

 

[jade_lee]

Bad parents in every province, Hopefully this foolishness doesn't spread like other political forces have out of that province.

 

[bleeepbluuup]

Is there an official list of controversial topics, or can parents pull their kids out of any lesson they deem unsavoury?

 

[Brian69]

Parents can complain about just about anything although they cannot prevent other children from accessing the curriculum or resource if it has already been approved. Generally there's a process to the complaint that includes a meeting with the parents by the principal and the requirement to detail the complaint in writing. It falls under a general heading of "Objections to school learning resources" or something similar.

However, in the case of certain curriculum issues that have guaranteed complaints/withdrawls coming (e.g., sex ed), schools will usually allow students to withdraw from participation without much of a fight and instead give them alternate curriculum to do such as healthy living or anti-drug activities.

 

[bleeepbluuup]

Parents can complain about just about anything although they cannot prevent other children from accessing the curriculum or resource if it has already been approved. Generally there's a process to the complaint that includes a meeting with the parents by the principal and the requirement to detail the complaint in writing. It falls under a general heading of "Objections to school learning resources" or something similar.

However, in the case of certain curriculum issues that have guaranteed complaints/withdrawls coming (e.g., sex ed), schools will usually allow students to withdraw from participation without much of a fight and instead give them alternate curriculum to do such as healthy living or anti-drug activities.

But say if someone wanted to remove Billy from history class because "the Holocaust didn't happen"?

 

[Brian69]

But say if someone wanted to remove Billy from history class because "the Holocaust didn't happen"?

Speaking as an educator...






















....I ain't touching that one with a 30 foot pole.



(short answer: religion conveniently excuses a lot of things but it won't cover that one)

 

[ungodlycrosscheck]

As an Albertan educated in Quebec and currently living and working in Ontario, I'm tickled to see that the knee jerk response for several posters on this thread is to make perjorative comments about the province. Without resorting to singling anyone out for special attention, I tip my cap those of you close to my heart for your brilliant and nuanced analysis, your slanderous and moronic comments really are the stuff of nation building.

I suspect by the tenor of several responses not many on the forum have actually visited the province and that's unfortunate. Perhaps spending some time out west might help to flesh out a more balanced understanding of the dynamics of the province.

Within the province there is legitimate opposition to Bill 44. Within the cities which make up the bulk of the province's population there is real resistance and embarassment. However, because of the way the political map is drawn in the province, rural areas have a disproportionate influence in the Leg. Bill 44 was red meat to the rural so-cons, it was never meant to be, nor is it palatable to the majority of the province's people. These so-con elements thrive in rural and small town anywhere Canada, where populations tend to be monolithic and suspicion of libertarian ideology runs high, small town Alberta bears a remarkable similarity to small town Quebec, and shockingly small town Ontario! GASP!

Until the electoral map is redrawn in Alberta, policies targeted at rural constituents will continue to find an audience and thrive. But be careful about casting any dispersions about urban Albertans, residents of its two biggest cities are just as sophisticated, and statistically achieve higher levels of education (particularly in the sciences) than their friends in Toronto.

I also can't resist mentionning that the province's secondary education system as demonstrated through strandardized testing far exceeds that of almighty Ontario.