Michael Coren on Canadian Public Schools: Teachers, leave those kids alone

By Michael Coren
9/16/2012
The Interim (www.theinterim.com/)

Give the money back to the parents and to the taxpayers, and let them decide where they want to send their children

I suppose I'm old-fashioned. I thought teachers were supposed to teach, to make sure young people could read and write, do math, know some history and geography, perhaps some economics, and certainly some science. I don't think media studies is a real subject, and sociology should only be a graduate level course. But this is nothing compared to what is going on today in many school boards, where legions of toxins are being injected into the bloodstream of the body politic; and in particular we need to monitor the Toronto District School Board's obvious and sinister war against the family.

Michael Coren, Journalist for Life

Facebook Delicous MySpace

Twitter Stumble Digg

More Destinations

TORONTO, ON, Canada (The Interim) - I suppose I'm old-fashioned. I thought teachers were supposed to teach, to make sure young people could read and write, do math, know some history and geography, perhaps some economics, and certainly some science. I don't think media studies is a real subject, and sociology should only be a graduate level course. But this is nothing compared to what is going on today in many school boards, where legions of toxins are being injected into the bloodstream of the body politic; and in particular we need to monitor the Toronto District School Board's obvious and sinister war against the family.

Some of you may remember the board's trash publication entitled Challenging Homophobia and Heterosexism, which I and others wrote about earlier this year. Well, it gets even worse. The board has now posed the rhetorical question - "Should Schools Send Notes Or Permission Slips Home Before Starting Any Classroom Work About Curricular Issues That May Involve Discussions About Discrimination and Harassment?" Don't forget, this is very extreme and incredibly one-sided stuff, and parents are the ones who raise children. For goodness sake, they are the parents and these are their children.

The answer, however, is chilling. "No. The TDSB Equity Foundation Statement and Commitments to Equity Policy Implementation states that each school has a responsibly to education that reflects the diversity of its students and their life experiences. Singling out one group or topic area as too controversial, and depending upon parent/guardian/caregiver discretion, shifts this responsibility from the school to the parents/ guardians/caregivers and fosters a poisoned environment contrary to the TDSB Human Rights Policy."

So, there we have it. The board then demonstrates an utter contempt for mothers and fathers - they're not caregivers - that is positively breathtaking. "What Is Gender Equity Education? The TDSB is committed to supporting all students. Studies show that families begin to treat their children differently, based on gender, almost from the moment of birth. Educators are influential through their approach toward raising students' awareness of gender stereotypes and barriers at a very early stage in children's education. Together, educators and students can move from awareness to understanding, and from understanding to eliminating gender barriers wherever they may be found."

And the barriers, that are apparently causing so much pain and destruction, and lead to war and tears and, for all we know, bad food and even, God forbid, missed episodes of Modern Family and Glee, are to be found in - yes, you guessed it - the family. The family, those poor fools who are paying such high taxes so that empty-headed extremists can try to indoctrinate their children with vile and bitter propaganda. "Gender is a primary regulator of classroom social interactions. Children actively take up what they have learned about gender roles from parents/guardians/caregivers, television, religion, etc., and use this often contradictory information to control each other's behaviours."

Did you also notice the other repugnant influences? Religion of course. Mum, dad, and church are bad; radical homosexual nut bars and their extremism are all good. It's self-evident that there are myriad good teachers, and many good schools. But good teachers and good schools will always exist, whatever the system, and what we now know is that it is this particular system - the public one - that is the root of the problem.

The answer is radical but simple. Scrap public education. Give the money back to the parents and to the taxpayers, and let them decide where they want to send their children. If there is enough support for a gender free, sexually manipulative circus high school, then so be it. If these schools, or gay schools, black schools, fat schools, attract enough support, they should be allowed to exist and even flourish. But we know they won't. The ones that will succeed and grow will be those that insist on firm, traditional, and orthodox values and virtues, and it is this that so terrifies radical teachers and their socialist union leaders.

They're our children, not theirs; it's our money, not theirs; they're our schools, not theirs. I am utterly convinced that it is too late to take back the public system - in its secular or Roman Catholic form - and the only way forward is to allow some fort of charter system where we give freedom to choose and freedom to learn. I am, I suppose, pro-choice. Isn't that a good thing?

-----

Michael Coren's new book is Heresy: Ten Lies They Spread about Christianity. He can be booked for speeches at www.michaelcoren.com.

� 2012, Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

- - -

The Interim is Canada�s life and family issues newspaper. Since it was founded in 1983, The Interim has provided honest reporting and insightful commentary on abortion, euthanasia, bioethics, family values and marriage.

Keywords: education, parents, gender, sexual orientation, parental rights, Michael Coren

NEWSLETTERS »

Rate This Article

Was this helpful to you? Very Helpful Somewhat Helpful Not Helpful at All

Would you be interested in more articles like this? Yes, I am Interested No, I am not Interested

Rate Article

1 - 6 of 6 Comments

PMAMTHM
4 months ago
One wonders if we any longer need 'teachers'.................when we could have students taught via TV or any number of other electronic devices and stay at home where their behaviour and social skills could be developed according to parental choice. I am sure that parents would be happy to have the tax momey retured to them to assist in their childs chosen educational situation

I absolutely agree with Mr. Coren.

Our family can boast three generations of teachers .......however teaching of earlier eras was real education not invented social fluff.

Graduates of the present era, from any level of modern 'education' often don't know how to spell, construct a proper sentence or even use the right parts of speach when communicating let alone cursing and using questionable language interjected throughout their effort to express a thought or opinion.

Just one example:- In our vast health care world the word "healthy" is used where the proper expresion would be 'healthful'. eg:-a Healthful life style results in a healthy individual.
The consumption of healthful food results in producing a healthy individual.

Give us back our money or teach basics well......that is wht parents ore paying for .
Jennifer
7 months ago
The author of the article misses the point of the school doctrine, and talks in extremes. Public schools serve a diversity of children and children learn better when they are not being bullied because of other students' homegrown prejudices. Who would defend the right of the bullies to continue bullying? The Lord? I doubt it.
Mack
8 months ago
Did anyone here -- including Mr. Coren -- vote in his or her last school board election? Or are you just talking?
maria jones
9 months ago
Thank you Michael for continuing to bring out into the light the totalatarian aggressive agenda being propelled by the group whose main objective is to destroy the goodness in the minds and souls of our children. This is Evil in action. Satan knows how to work and who to work with and who to guide.. as a well known Catholic Priest Exorcist said 3 yrs ago in a CNS interview... people need to know that the devil is at work openly, as never before, but he also has his own 'angels of darkness' who are out working with him. When I read some of the obviously well orchestrated gay agenda against our children and families.. it is easy to know who is driving the agenda. I agree with you .. get rid of a public system..
give us back our tax dollars and yes we will have our own charter schools. There is no choice McGuinty and the People want it!!!
Emma
9 months ago
The only things that the public, school system should be concerned with aside from core subject matter, is establishing a code of conduct and enforcing it! Simple: you do not put your hands on ANYONE. You do not film classmates and post them on You Tube. No derogatory statements directed towards faculty, employees or fellow students. Dress in such a way that your private areas are well covered. Turn phones and other gear off in class. Then, establish disciplinary measures to enforce these measures, up to and including expulsion. If a student is so out of control that their behavior impedes fellow students from learning, they don't belong there. If parents thought that they were going to have to pay for daycare, maybe they would partner with teachers and discipline some of these miscreants. I think the majority of teachers would find this a refreshing change. Only problem is, most public schools are paid on the basis of attendance, negating the need to educate. Because there is no order in the classroom, they continue to institute these lame policies to justify their existence, dumbing down curriculum. Social engineering at its worst. Teach children to act respectfully towards everyone by basis of their common humanity. There's no need to establish yet another class of the "specially privileged ". I will never send my children to a public school. Home shool or Catholic School, both are a possibility, but no way will I put my children in a pseudo learning environment which only serves the purpose of indoctrinating them in the current pc correctness. I hope to raise them up to be young men and women who are grounded in faith, able to carry forth with discipline and a modicum of self determination. Public schools are more and more becoming "youth camps " for a liberal society.
Kasoy
9 months ago
I hope we realize now why the Asians kids are passing US kids in math, science, and even reading skills. Asians students focus on those 3 areas. Many may not know it. But I heard from some of my Asian friends that Korean students are flocking universities in English-speaking nations in the Asia-Pacific not only to earn their BS degrees but more so to learn English. Korean students are known for their high-level math and science skills. Their weakness is English skills. Now, they can have all three in the next generation. American schools should focus on teaching the basic academic skills to students and let parents teach them values. These kids don't need to engage in contentious social issues at this stage in their lives. Let them enjoy learning and life while they are still young. Don't depress them with issues that they barely understand or appreciate at their age. That's why I rather send my kids and grandkids to Catholic schools than public schools.

Comments submitted must be civil, remain on-topic and not violate any laws including copyright. We reserve the right to delete any comments which are abusive, inappropriate or not constructive to the discussion.

Though we invite robust discussion, we reserve the right to not publish any comment which denigrates the human person, undermines marriage and the family, or advocates for positions which openly oppose the teaching of the Catholic Church.

This is a supervised forum and the Editors of Catholic Online retain the right to direct it.

We also reserve the right to block any commenter for repeated violations. Your email address is required to post, but it will not be published on the site.

We ask that you NOT post your comment more than once. Catholic Online is growing and our ability to review all comments sometimes results in a delay in their publication.

Name *

Email *

Comment *

Send me important information from Catholic Online and it's partners. See Sample

Post Comment