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The Simple Truth

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BY: KATHY MCDONALD

“Duppy know who to frighten”. This Jamaican saying refers to bullies or people that try to push the boundaries but stop when they know that they are going to be held accountable. April 13th the Peel District School Board (PDSB), conducted its first meeting of 2017 that was not disrupted by hate or islamophobic insults. At the PDSB we have introduced new security measures as the campaign of hate was escalating and safety for all became a great concern. For the last five months, it was truly disheartening to see the effects of hate and fear orchestrated by manipulative individuals with ulterior motives. It was great to see the overwhelming support and show of solidarity from the various Union and Federation groups attending the board meeting in record numbers. To all of them, I say a big THANK YOU.

As a Trustee of the PDSB, I, like all school board trustees are bound by some basic ground rules, a code of conduct, an ethical duty. Working together with my eleven colleagues I have a fiduciary responsibility to be prepared for meetings and read all documents pertaining to PDSB matters in the agenda; govern the provision of curriculum, facilities, human and financial resources and establish policies; set budgets; as well as advocate for parents and my community and explain the policies and decisions of the Board and collaborate with all levels of government and community organizations to help ensure student success. Above all of these duties, I must uphold the laws of the land and The Ontario Human Rights Code (OHRC).

The deliberate effort of individuals, most of whom have ulterior motives, to intentionally mislead the public is mind boggling. However, we as a public, after listening to a variety of opinions have a duty to research the facts. After doing this we could hopefully come to a logical conclusion or understanding. The PDSB will not tolerate or entertain campaigns of hate that discriminate against anyone based on race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexuality or faith.

All school boards are required to provide religious accommodations as per the OHRC and the Ministry of Education’s 2009 Provincial Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy. In fact, religious accommodations have been occurring in Peel schools for over fifteen years through an established process. During the 2016-17 school year, the procedure was updated. This operational issue came before the Board of Trustees in November 2016 and since then a great brouhaha ensued. There is sometimes a fine line between governance and operations as it pertains to the role as a Trustee and it is in those murky areas as a trustee we have to tread carefully. The Director of Education, the Boards one employee leads the over 19,000 employees including those responsible for establishing and updating the religious accommodation protocol.

Yes I know we have over 4,000 religions in the world and over 100,00 students but religious accommodations are based solely on the requirements of faith and provided to the best of the Board’s ability. The request is carefully reviewed by the school and must comply with the Education Act as well as the OHRC.” The duty to accommodate is about more than providing the most appropriate accommodation in the circumstances. It is also about engaging in a meaningful, good-faith process to assess need and find appropriate solutions. Failing to carry out either component may be discriminatory.”

No one group is getting preferential treatment. Various accommodations have been granted. For example, Sikhs can carry the kirpan to school, Diwali is a school-wide celebration, Christmas and all major faith days are acknowledged and prayer rooms or spaces are available to all who wish to use them. There are a lot of Christian and other religious clubs. One may argue: “Well why was the Lord’s prayer taken out?” The Lord’s Prayer was previously recited by all students, including those that did not practice that faith.  The PDSB, “despite being a secular institution does not compare one religion with the other we simply make accommodations based on faith.” In fact, any school Board that receives public funding has a duty to provide religious accommodations to students or staff when requested.

Friday prayers do not negatively impact any student learning. There is no cost or undue hardship in providing accommodation for Friday Prayer. “These prayers are supervised but the Board cannot interfere with the practice of the faith”. When consulting with the principals of schools that have been accommodating Friday Prayers they have not had any issues with the process or the students. There is nothing clandestine about a group of Peel students praying on a Friday.

The PDSB Religious Accommodation facts sheet has all this information and more. Most of the facts presented in my column come straight from this document. All this information and more can be found on our website at www.peelschools.org or visit your child’s school board’s website, the Ministry of Education or the OHRC website. Remember “The Code has primacy- or takes precedence – over all other provincial laws in Ontario. Where a law conflicts with the Code, the Code will prevail.” So, journey with me as we work towards inclusion and equity for all. Remember when we are repeating any stereotype about a group of people; do some reflection and see if the stereotype about your race, religion or creed fits you. So Walk Good. Belle Marché

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Youth Development

Understanding the multiple layers involved in navigating education spaces Parents of Black Children launch Navigating the Education System

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BY PAUL JUNOR

The work of the advocacy group Parents of Black Children (PoBC) has made a significant and revolutionary difference by bringing issues to the forefront that help Black families at all levels.

For over two years now, it has organized events, workshops and initiatives that have provided important information to the Black community to bring empowerment, knowledge and deep understanding of the multiple layers of the complex dynamics involved in navigating education spaces.

There are five core principles that underlie PoBC understanding of racism:

  1. Racialization
  2. Racism is about power
  3. Critical racial theory
  4. Our stories matter
  5. Racism is founded on White supremacy

On Tuesday, November 23rd, 2021, they launched the document Navigating the Education System,” which was a very empowering, enriching and inspiring tool for diverse Black families. Kearie Daniels, one of the cofounders of PoBC and author of the document, moderated the launch. Furthermore, Claudette Rutherford, one of the cofounders of PoBC and author gave an extensive presentation of the details of the document, sharing useful insights, practical knowledge and interesting information.

PoBC shared a pdf document subsequent to the launch, which provided additional details in a fifty-three-page package. It contained relevant, contextual and vital resources. PoBC’s Advocacy Team supported the document, which includes Charline Grant and Xavier McLaughin.

In the introduction to the document the mission of PoBC is to “Provide support to parents of Black children across Canada and the United States. We advocate and work towards change and concrete action in our education system and adjacent systems such child welfare and the justice system.”

The launch of this vital document is a culmination of all the advocacy and activist work that PoBC has been extensively involved in. It serves to remind members of the Black community that there are resources, tools and supports available to ensure that Black children are able to thrive academically, excel mentally and flourish intellectually in spaces that may not be welcoming to their presence.

The document states that the navigate guide is “Geared towards families in Ontario, but the information can be applied to any jurisdiction where there are Black children and families.”

The document “Table of Contents” is useful and helpful. There is vital information on:

  • School board terms you need to know
  • Education organization you need to know in Ontario
  • Black families and the Child Welfare System
  • Black families and the education system
  • Black students and Individual Education Plans (IEPs)
  • Black students in High School.
  • Developmental delays in learning exceptionalities
  • Supporting students with learning exceptionalities
  • Selecting a school system
  • System abuse

PoBC presented a webinar on “System Abuse”. The document states,

“The system is not neutral. These systems were designed as part of a colonial framework that must be dismantled.” Furthermore, the document “Serves as a means to demystify the pitfalls within the education system and light a path towards a decolonized education system.”

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Youth Development

Toronto prepares families for COVID-19 vaccination of children

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Photo by Charles Deluvio Library on Unsplash

BY PAUL JUNOR

There have been concerns, fears and anxieties as parents, caregivers and guardians anticipate the possibility of having their children under twelve vaccinated.

The Boston Globe reported on Friday, October 29th, 2021, that the FDA approved the administration of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to children between the ages of five to eleven. These children will receive one-third of the dose administered to teens and adults.

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention met on Tuesday, November 2nd, 2021, in order to finalize details with respect to which children should be vaccinated first. In anticipation of these developments, Team Toronto has initiated a series of outreach and education sessions, as well as town halls in order to inform the Toronto community.

Parents of children between the ages of five to eleven who attend public schools will be receiving an email and an invitation to respond to a survey to “Support vaccine planning.”  This invitation will also be extended to parents whose children attend private independent schools as well. The survey will be administered by Toronto Public Health (TPH) and the City of Toronto VaxTO in order to “Better understand parents’ intent to vaccinate their children, how they would prefer to have their children receive their COVID-19 vaccine, and to obtain critical information on socio-demographic factors such as race and income.”

John Tory, Mayor of Toronto, is optimistic and positive about this development. He states in the press release, “While our work to get 90% of eligible residents vaccinated is continuing, we are also readying for when the vaccine will be available to protect kids five to eleven. We want to hear from parents, so we made sure we designed a vaccination program that works for kids and their families. This is just one more example of the outreach we are doing to prepare for this effort. This work is so important and will help us get kids vaccinated so they have the best protection against COVID-19 and so our schools can be as safe and as open as possible.”

Councillor Joe Cressy, Chair of Toronto’s Board of Health who has been at the forefront of advocating for the vaccination of margnizalied and at-risk communities is supportive of this campaign. He states, “At every stage of our immunization campaign, connecting with people on the ground has been critical to our success. Now, as we prepare for the rollout of vaccines to children aged five to eleven, we’re committed to engaging directly with parents, families, and community leaders to have active conversations about vaccinations for kids.”

In addition, Dr Eileen De Villa, Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health is a strong proponent of this campaign. She states,” When vaccines are approved for use and when we have supply we will ensure that we bring every resource to bear on this critical component of the vaccination campaign.”

The survey will be available as of Sunday, November 7th, 2021. It consists of fifteen questions that will be available online at s.tphsurvey.chkmkt.com in multiple languages. Parents and guardians will receive them from their children’s public school boards. In addition, there will be town halls for specified multilingual communities as well as neighbourhood-based telephone halls to ensure that the public has access to timely, necessary and relevant information for informed decision-making.

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Youth Development

Act as if what you do makes a difference. IT DOES

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BY SABRINA S. – 12 YEARS OLD

The school year is coming to an end, I’m sure that this year was hectic for everyone. Last year, we had a pandemic strike in the middle of the year and the world was sent into lockdown.

We didn’t get to go to school for the rest of the year.

Many students got to choose if they wanted to do school in-person or online, I chose online since I didn’t feel safe.

First day of school was very weird, most people don’t turn their cameras on, don’t even get me started on the wifi issues. I would lag out of the google meet many times and miss most of the instructions on the assignment. That is when friends come in handy, though I don’t get to see my friends that often, we still connect with some online games and phone calls through snap chat.

I don’t know where the time went, it just flew by. Last month was September and suddenly, I feel like we skipped eight months. I only have a week of school left! Because it is the last week of school, I have a lot of homework and final assignments to do but I know I’ll get through them and finish the school year.

I haven’t had time to go outside as well, I’ve been too busy with my assignments.

If my school year was this hectic, imagine the teacher’s year. I’m very grateful for everything my teachers have done for me and my classmates this year, they definitely deserve the three-month summer break. I’m sure my teachers doubted teaching online, but everything went okay and I learned lots.

“No matter how hard it is, or how hard it gets. I’m going to make it!”

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