- 注册
- 2002-10-07
- 消息
- 402,590
- 荣誉分数
- 76
- 声望点数
- 228
A “miscommunication” between an Ottawa Catholic school principal and two Grade 6 students led to a ban on their proposed social justice project on gay rights, according to the board’s education director, Julian Hanlon.
Hanlon said the girls’ project will go ahead following a meeting Monday night between the principal of St. George elementary school and the parents of the students. The education director said he wouldn’t “comment on specifics” of the principal’s decision, but said he believes said the situation has been blown out of proportion.
“The principal’s initial decision was based on the initial things the students had asked to present on,” Hanlon said in an interview Tuesday. “That was the concern. I wasn’t there and I don’t want to get into specifics, start misleading people and open this thing up again. We’re pleased that it’s solved.”
Hanlon said the principal contacted the parents “once the media storm died down last week” to set up a meeting. “They did meet and had a good discussion about things and came to an understanding about what the presentation would be about and how to move things forward.”
According to Hanlon the board was never involved in the decision to quash the girls’ project. He pointed to a document called Respecting Differences released in 2012 by the Ontario Catholic School Board Trustee’s Association and meant to act as a guideline for Catholic schools in helping teachers and administrators deal with issues pertaining to race, religion and sexual orientation or identity.
The document urges that “all members of Catholic school communities work together in an atmosphere of safety and respect for the dignity of one another regardless of race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, citizenship, ethnic origin, disability, creed (includes religion), sex, sexual orientation, age, family status and marital status.”
It later states: “this Resource is based upon the need to recognize that it is possible to respect, affirm and support the dignity of another person while at the same time disagreeing with their viewpoint on sexual morality. This understanding is important in society generally but with respect to differences based upon conscience and religious beliefs, it is essential to restate the importance of respect for differences at this time.”
Hanlon said the document is known to principals and school officials across the province. He said it makes plain that presentations and debate about controversial issues, such as gay rights, should take place in Catholic schools.
“It’s quite clear in there that Catholic schools do respect and welcome all and are prepared to, if you want to talk about presentations, allow presentations,” he said. “That information is already out there.”
Parents of the two girls were not available to speak during the day on Tuesday.
Mondays meeting was the second between the parents and principal to discuss the girls’ desire to use gay rights as a basis for their social justice project. The first meeting ended with the ban on the project being upheld. Hanlon wouldn’t comment on why it took two meetings between the parents and the principal to clear up the issue.
Students Quinn Maloney-Tavares, 11, and Polly Hamilton, 11, had planned to examine gay rights in a project for a January Social Justice Fair that would be seen by students in grades 4 to 6. St. George principal Ann Beauchamp vetoed the project in late November, citing concerns about the age appropriateness of the material the two girls would be presenting.
Quinn’s mother, Ann Maloney, told the Citizen earlier that the principal held steadfast in the first meeting with the parents. “She felt very strongly about her decision,” Maloney said..
A Nov. 28 statement from the Ottawa Catholic School Board chair suggests the board held discussions with the principal.
“What has since become clear … is that the motives behind the planned presentation by the two young girls were simply to combat the kinds of behaviour and attitudes that can lead to bullying of gay people, and violations of human rights,” said the statement from board chairman Ted Hurley.
Hurley said the principal would contact the parents to arrange “a followup discussion to resolve this matter,” adding, “We support the students’ sense of fair play and respect for all persons.”
vpilieci@ottawacitizen.com
查看原文...
Hanlon said the girls’ project will go ahead following a meeting Monday night between the principal of St. George elementary school and the parents of the students. The education director said he wouldn’t “comment on specifics” of the principal’s decision, but said he believes said the situation has been blown out of proportion.
“The principal’s initial decision was based on the initial things the students had asked to present on,” Hanlon said in an interview Tuesday. “That was the concern. I wasn’t there and I don’t want to get into specifics, start misleading people and open this thing up again. We’re pleased that it’s solved.”
Hanlon said the principal contacted the parents “once the media storm died down last week” to set up a meeting. “They did meet and had a good discussion about things and came to an understanding about what the presentation would be about and how to move things forward.”
According to Hanlon the board was never involved in the decision to quash the girls’ project. He pointed to a document called Respecting Differences released in 2012 by the Ontario Catholic School Board Trustee’s Association and meant to act as a guideline for Catholic schools in helping teachers and administrators deal with issues pertaining to race, religion and sexual orientation or identity.
The document urges that “all members of Catholic school communities work together in an atmosphere of safety and respect for the dignity of one another regardless of race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, citizenship, ethnic origin, disability, creed (includes religion), sex, sexual orientation, age, family status and marital status.”
It later states: “this Resource is based upon the need to recognize that it is possible to respect, affirm and support the dignity of another person while at the same time disagreeing with their viewpoint on sexual morality. This understanding is important in society generally but with respect to differences based upon conscience and religious beliefs, it is essential to restate the importance of respect for differences at this time.”
Hanlon said the document is known to principals and school officials across the province. He said it makes plain that presentations and debate about controversial issues, such as gay rights, should take place in Catholic schools.
“It’s quite clear in there that Catholic schools do respect and welcome all and are prepared to, if you want to talk about presentations, allow presentations,” he said. “That information is already out there.”
Parents of the two girls were not available to speak during the day on Tuesday.
Mondays meeting was the second between the parents and principal to discuss the girls’ desire to use gay rights as a basis for their social justice project. The first meeting ended with the ban on the project being upheld. Hanlon wouldn’t comment on why it took two meetings between the parents and the principal to clear up the issue.
Students Quinn Maloney-Tavares, 11, and Polly Hamilton, 11, had planned to examine gay rights in a project for a January Social Justice Fair that would be seen by students in grades 4 to 6. St. George principal Ann Beauchamp vetoed the project in late November, citing concerns about the age appropriateness of the material the two girls would be presenting.
Quinn’s mother, Ann Maloney, told the Citizen earlier that the principal held steadfast in the first meeting with the parents. “She felt very strongly about her decision,” Maloney said..
A Nov. 28 statement from the Ottawa Catholic School Board chair suggests the board held discussions with the principal.
“What has since become clear … is that the motives behind the planned presentation by the two young girls were simply to combat the kinds of behaviour and attitudes that can lead to bullying of gay people, and violations of human rights,” said the statement from board chairman Ted Hurley.
Hurley said the principal would contact the parents to arrange “a followup discussion to resolve this matter,” adding, “We support the students’ sense of fair play and respect for all persons.”
vpilieci@ottawacitizen.com
查看原文...
