(LifeSiteNews) — Ontario’s Education Minister has warned all school boards not to have upcoming graduation ceremonies “engage in divisive or contentious issues of any kind” or be “political” after news broke that a school board said its grad events would be guided by an “anti-colonial lens.”
Last week, Ontario Minister of Education Paul Calandra, in a note to all school boards, made it clear that “ceremonies are expected to remain focused solely on recognizing student achievement.”
“They are not an appropriate forum for organizers or administrators to express political views or promote personal or institutional positions, or engage in divisive or contentious issues of any kind,” he wrote.
His comments come after news broke that the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board, which in the past has been known for woke policies, said in a memo that this year’s graduation ceremonies will be guided by an “anti-oppressive/anti-racist/anti-colonial lens.”
The letter, shared online by former Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board school councilor Catherine Kronas, called Canadians “citizens of Turtle Island” and said graduation ceremonies should include divisive indigenous land acknowledgments.
The note says that school staff should see that “not all learners/guests in attendance may choose to stand” when Canada’s national anthem is played, so that there can be an “equitable celebration” for each student.
Calandra, in his note to all school boards, said that the “failure of school boards to meet these expectations poses a real risk to student well-being, and I will not hesitate to consider every tool available to me in the Education Act to ensure that students are always put first.”
“Under no circumstances should educators be placed in positions that create conflict between students and their families,” he said.
“Graduation ceremonies must remain free from disruption, distraction or division, and are expected to reflect the significance of students’ accomplishments.”
As reported by LifeSiteNews, the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board was issued a legal warning from the JCCF after it suspended concerned parent Catherine Kronas from a local school council over her objections to making indigenous land acknowledgments.
Indigenous land acknowledgments have become common in Canada and have increased since the unproven claims that unmarked graves have been discovered at former residential schools gained media steam. Indeed, they have become so prevalent that even King Charles III gave one recently while delivering the Throne Speech on behalf of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal government.
