By Geoffrey Clarfield from The Post Millenial Canadian News
Teachers took students on a field trip to a pro-Palestinian protest and the public backlash that followed was determined to be racistThe National Council of Canadian Muslims announced that the Toronto District School Board will officially recognize anti-Palestinian racism. “Thanks to our community’s advocacy, the TDSB is taking action,” the group said in a statement. “Last week, trustees passed a motion that marks a historic step forward in recognizing anti-Palestinian racism in schools.”The review—led by Assistant Deputy Minister Patrick Case—examined a September 2024 student field trip to the Grassy Narrows River Run. While the trip was framed as an Indigenous solidarity event, it also seemingly doubled as a pro-Palestinian protest.Backlash followed after the school took students on a field trip to an anti-Israel, pro-Gaza protest. Media attention amplified that backlash. The review from the Assistant Deputy Minister then determined that the backlash against the protest-oriented field trip was actually racism in action.
Case’s final report concluded that Palestinian students and staff in the TDSB face “systemic erasure” and often fear “reprisals for speaking out.”
“Student attendance at the River Run garnered considerable negative media attention and was widely commented on in various social media. Generally speaking, media reported that TDSB parents had been misled and that the rally and march for clean water for the peoples of the Grassy Narrows First Nation was always going to be a pro-Palestinian protest in which students were forced to participate,” Case wrote in the report. “Much of the narrative in the mainstream media and social media suggested that TDSB teachers had intentionally escorted students to a pro-Palestinian protest under false pretenses.”Case also noted some of the chants that were sang at the event, downplaying their significance. “According to students I interviewed,” he wrote, “it was over the course of the open-mic speeches that for 30 seconds to one minute, someone on the stage encouraged the crowd to repeat a pro-Palestinian chant: ‘From Turtle Island, to Palestine, occupation is a crime.'”
Out of the 19 schools that had groups attend, five reported hearing this chant at Grange Park. The chanting went unnoticed by most of the students, per Case.. This observation was corroborated by teachers, students and parent volunteers in attendance.
Advocates hailed the new motion as a “first step” toward greater inclusion—but say continued vigilance will be needed to ensure meaningful implementation.
3 Responses
Glad you haven’t lost your sense of humour…
Aside from simply being puzzled as to how these clods managed to find their way into the any part of the Canadian educational system, it may be useful to handle the “racism slur” by simply not reacting to it; in fact, to accepting the fact that everyone (all the educational clods; but I repeat myself) that you ARE a racist… then make the decision to celebrate this obvious fact and move on from there.
One way of facilitating this earth-shattering shift, is to stand in front of a mirror (facing it) and tell your image that he or she is a racist. Then closely watch your image to see how it reacts… The rest is up to you.
A bit pythonesque I must admit, but well worth the effort.
Can a person pull their kid from out of the Toronto Public School system?
Yes. A family can take their children out of the state school and enrol in an expensive private school. However in addition to these private fees they will still be paying taxes to support the local school board or boards which have gone Woke.