Open Letter in Support of Parental Rights in Education

This letter can be used by parents as a template in an effort to exercise their rights to safeguard what children learn in school. These rights apply equally to parents who have children in Catholic and public schools. Only through greater participation can parents retain and exercise this responsibility, as first educators of their children, and be gatekeepers for morality and reason in education in Ontario's elementary and secondary schools. Governments, as we see with the Equity policy, are a poor and potentially dangerous substitute for loving parental leadership. The open letter is not meant to replace, but to complement personal contact with teachers and administrators. Of course homeschooling, private schools and teaching the Catechism and family beliefs at home are some of the alternatives that parents can and need to consider to protect traditional family values.)

Dear Teacher/Principal/Superintendent,

During the coming school year 2011-12, schools boards in Ontario will begin to implement the Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy. As parents, we fully support the idea that all schools be free of bullying, discrimination, and be places where there’s equal and fair treatment of all students and staff.

However, as caring parents we would like to make our concern very clear at the start of the school year: Should any curriculum be taught to my son/daughter regarding sex education of any kind, including homosexuality, sexual orientation and the re-definition traditional marriage/family, we want this communicated to us before the material is presented and be given the opportunity to withdraw our children from this instruction. Our parental concern applies equally to anyone invited from the community to talk to students about these intimate issues.

The values regarding sexuality and marriage that are promoted in school and at home is something our family cares deeply about. In the history of Ontario Education, there is a strong precedent to respect parental rights by making provisions to exempt our children from any instruction because of our beliefs and on conscientious grounds.

We do want to be involved in what our children are learning in school. School boards in Ontario have always been supportive of parents who have objected to curriculum for reasons of religion and conscience. We trust you will accommodate this request as it applies to any aspect of the new Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy.

We look forward to working with the teachers, the principal and the superintendent. If for any reason, you cannot honour our parental rights, we want to be informed.

Thank you for addressing this important family matter.

Yours truly,

Signed by parent(s) Posted by Lou Iacobelli