A Surrey MLA has introduced legislation to begin a review of educational material in B.C. schools to ensure they are all "age-appropriate."
香蕉视频直播淧arents deserve transparency in education,香蕉视频直播� Surrey North MLA Mandeep Dhaliwal said in a press release Monday (June 2).
香蕉视频直播淭his legislation empowers families, ensuring they are informed and involved in their children香蕉视频直播檚 education. Our goal is simple: clarity and accountability.香蕉视频直播�
The Parental Transparency and Age-Appropriate Education Act seeks three main steps to review all books, films, pamphlets and other resources used in schools. This announcement comes after years of parents and others in the community rallying for an end to SOGI (sexual orientation and gender identity) 123, an educational resource available to B.C. educators to make classrooms more inclusive.
A big component of the protests has been about books available in school libraries; however, the MLA's press release does not specifically mention it is SOGI material he is targeting.
When asked, Conservative representative Ryan Painter would not specifically comment on which types of material they are looking to review.
Instead, he said parents are feeling left out of schools and "should be treated as partners in education and not seen as adversaries."
Dhaliwal's bill would see an independent committee created and a mandatory public review of all school material, after which educational resources would be labelled as to the age they are deemed appropriate for so younger students do not access them.
香蕉视频直播淯nder pressure from Conservative MLAs, the Minister of Education promised to do this during the legislature's spring session. Our bill will ensure that the BC NDP government keeps its promise. We are committed to supporting parents and respecting their right to know,香蕉视频直播� said Dhaliwal, who upset former education minister Rachna Singh in the riding.
香蕉视频直播淭ransparency is the cornerstone of trust and foundational to quality education.香蕉视频直播�
Most school districts across the province have learning resources policies that are made public. For Surrey's, the policy was reviewed at the end of 2023, according to Surrey Teachers' Association president Lizanne Foster.
"There is an approval process for learning resources that are in all classrooms. These resources are evaluated for age and developmental appropriateness by a team of district-appointed teachers," Foster added.
"Beyond that, they look at how it fits with the curriculum, which is also available to parents to publicly view. The team also considers the literary qualities of learning resources as well as social considerations through an equity lens."
If parents have concerns about learning materials being used, there is a formal challenging process.
"The Board believes the responsibility for the selection of learning resources belongs to practicing educators who have the skills, knowledge, and experience to assess and evaluate given resources using district criteria. Opportunities to challenge the use of a learning resource will be provided," states, adding that learning resources need to consider many factors.
These include fostering inclusivity, accounting for different points of views, considering diverse cultural perspectives and identities, providing opportunities to deepen knowledge of Indigenous history and culture, and teaching a spectrum of narratives to do with race, gender, disability, class and more.
Dhaliwal is also encouraging parents and others to sign an to support his bill.
