VANCOUVER, BC, March 14, 2008 – The Catholic Civil Rights League today released what a retired UBC professor of education calls “a comprehensive, finely detailed, extensively researched and documented critique” of a teachers’ manual designed to fulfil a private contract between the Ministry of Education and two homosexual activists. The manual, Making Space, Giving Voice, explains how K-12 students will be introduced to “the full range of gender identity and sexual orientation.”
Walter Szetela, Professor Emeritus of the Faculty of Education at the University of British Columbia, describes the League’s review of Making Space, Giving Voice as “superlative.” Retired UBC English professor Ross Labrie comments that the review “raises serious concerns about the dangers to democracy of an ideologically driven and secretive policy designed to impose a particular view of what is claimed to be social justice.”
See also “Resist, counter and protest” (League press releases, March 22)
According to the League, the recommendations of Making Space, Giving Voice are made at the expense of core curriculum subjects. It warns that the ‘ideological straitjacket” imposed by the Ministry on some subjects, such as English and literature, “is spiritually and intellectually impoverishing.” The Ministry’s manual is also faulted by the League because it “draws false analogies . . . fails to make important distinctions . . . and omits information relevant to informed decision making.”
The League has asked the Minister of Education to waive the six week deadline imposed by her officials for public response to Making Space, Giving Voice. “They gave the public four months to comment on a single social justice elective intended only for some Grade 12 students,” said Sean Murphy, author of the League’s critique. “But they allowed only six weeks for responses to a manual affecting teaching in every subject from Kindergarten to Grade 12.”
Mr. Murphy, a CCRL director for western Canada, hopes that the Minister will instruct her officials to consider the League’s submission, despite the deadline. “It wasn’t possible to complete a proper review of the document in six weeks,” he said.
Read the CCRL review on line at http://www.ccrl.ca/index.php?id=4932
About CCRL
The Catholic Civil Rights League assists in creating conditions within which Catholic teachings can be better understood, cooperates with other organizations in defending civil rights in Canada, and opposes defamation and discrimination against Catholics on the basis of their beliefs. The Catholic Civil Rights League is a Canadian non-profit organization entirely supported by the generosity of its members.
Western Contacts
Sean Murphy (BC & Prairies) ccrl-west@shaw.ca Tel: 604-485-9765
Ed De Vita (BC Lower Mainland) edevita@shaw.ca Tel: 604-430-9596