Swell Del

Re: this TDSB protest. I've seen the correspondence from schools to parents - it's absolutely duplicitous what was not mentioned in the field trip permission form, compared to what was. Parents feel duped, and, in essence, they were. I was in elementary school in the mid-1980s...South African apartheid was a massive issue - felt like it was on the TV news every single evening. South Africa were global pariahs, no question about that. My parents were left-leaning union-dues-paying teachers. We'd talk about South Africa...why it wasn't allowed in the Olympics or in FIFA competitions (yes, I've always liked soccer!), why musicians "didn't want to play Sun City", & it was celebratory when apartheid ended. I did a speech on apartheid's impact in 7th grade in front of the entire classroom when we were allowed to pick a "world issue" that had impact on us we wanted to see progressively changed or improved. BUT... Had an elementary school teacher sent home a permission slip asking for permission to take a "field trip" to protest South African government-sanctioned apartheid.....at a local business, a politician's office, even a bus trip to Ottawa to the South African Embassy to protest....... My folks would have flipped. Like, FLIPPED. And they abhorred what South Africa had created & established & perpetuated. They'd know it's wrong to coerce kids into a political perspective, or indoctrinate them to a political cause. They'd have been embarrassed to point out how wrong that would be....just as I'm many teachers are embarrassed by their colleagues now. Education is about teaching our kids HOW to think, not WHAT to think. Present an issue, solve problems, listen to other opinions. No matter how universal a cause seems....protests and marches and chanting....that's for parents to decide the where/when/if at all. It isn't up to educators. You borrow our kids. You make a difference. You lead. You teach. You discipline when you need to. I'm grateful for the great educators I've had, & my kids have had. But they're OUR kids. We make the calls about protests, political causes, & issues of fairness & justice. You drive the car around once in a while.....in most cases, a 10 month lease. It's OUR car. This was a disgraceful moment in Toronto District School Board history.....and those defending the actions of the activators of this trip Wednesday, & the utter silence of almost all the trustees, the Chair, the Acting Chair, & the Director of Education....it speaks volumes as to what parents are up against.