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PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY January 16 - 31, 2017
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Parents Cry Foul over SOGI
“All
across
Canada,
parental rights are being
attacked. The role of parents
is teaching their kids, and
making decisions for them,”
an angry Langley parent letter
starts. “Schools have brought
in SOGI. Now, teachers are
taking over the role of parents
and teaching their kids.
Parents were never told about
SOGI, because teachers and
government knew parents
would reject it. That is why
they shoved SOGI down our
throats.”
The Sexual Orientation and
Gender Identity Curriculum
or SOGI implemented this
school year in the public
schools have upset many
parents in the Lower Mainland
who did not expect what the
program was about. The
program seeks to educated
children in elementary and
in high school about LGBTQ
lifestyles so that children
will be more tolerant and
accepting of them.
“Led by educators and
SOGI leaders from across
Western Canada, SOGI 1
2 3 equips educators of all
backgrounds and experiences
with tools and resources
for supporting marginalized
LGBTQ students and for
creating safer and more
inclusive school environments
for all students,” the SOGI
website explains.
This is not the case,
however, according to many
groups who are against
the implementation of the
curriculum.
Chilliwack school trustee
Barry Neufeld is facing calls to
resign after posting negative
online comments regarding
the Sexual Orientation and
Gender Identity program
(SOGI) in B.C. schools.
Neufeld set off a firestorm
of controversy after posting
on Facebook that he would
risk being labelled a “bigoted
homophobe” for his opinion
that allowing children to
change gender was “nothing
short of child abuse.” He
says that it is unfair for the
government to take away a
parents’ rights to educate their
children in these matters.
Kari Simpson, Executive
Director for CultureGuard
says “It’s a political cult,
expanding
globally—and
according to the School Act,
which prohibits sectarian
influence in the classroom,
that’s illegal.” Simpson quoted
directly from some of the
SOGI lesson plans, providing
examples of how SOGI is
going to alter children’s
sense of their sexual identity.
kindergarten,
“In
teachers are instructed to tell
children ‘gay is when two men
love each other.’ Teachers are
then instructed to ask children
to imagine what it would be
like to have two moms or two
dads as parents,” Simpson
adds.
Some
parents
have
reportedly complained after
their children have come
home from school after a
SOGI lesson telling them that
if girls play sports and like to
play in the dirt, that they are
boys, and that if boys like to
play with their sisters, then
they are sexually oriented to
be girls.
The parent of a high
school boy complained to
the Surrey school board
and said that his son was
told to pretend to be gay
and practise “coming out”
as part of a class project at
Johnston Heights secondary
school. Surrey school district
spokesman Doug Strachan
said that a team of teachers
was involved in the lesson
planning for three Grade 8
classes but was not exactly
what was done in the class.
The lesson plan states: “Have
everyone stand up in a circle.
Explain that each person
is now gay or lesbian and
each are about to begin their
coming out process.”
With all the confusion of
the new curriculum, a number
of parents are concerned at
the eligibility of the teachers
to teach such a delicate issue.
A Delta parent asked whether
teachers are even qualified in
a capacity as a psychologist
to process the programs and
lessons, especially when it
adversely affects the younger
children.
“How can we, as parents,
be assured that our children
are given the psychological
and emotional support if they
don’t understand what they
are being taught? Have they
realized that these children
come from various homes
with different sets of values,
cultures and beliefs that may
not be compatible with what
is being taught?” The parent
also expressed concern that
parental rights to educate
their children are no longer
respected and recognized.
Some parents have gone
to their schools to have
their children opt out of the
program. According to the
Langley Schools District,
“The Provincial Government
has allowed for some
flexibility in the delivery of
certain ‘sensitive areas’ of the
curriculum, specifically topics
related to reproduction and
sexuality that some students
and their parents/guardians
may feel more comfortable
addressing by means other
than instruction by a teacher
in a regular classroom
setting.”
“We want our children
to learn from our own family
values, and part of this is to
learn to respect everyone
regardless of what and who
they are,” a Delta parent said.
He said that he does not like
the idea of something being
forced down their throats as
it impinges on their right to
raise their children according
to their values.
*******
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