Poste - Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children

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C A N A D I A N C O A L I T I O N F O R T H E R I G H T S O F C H I L D R E N civics and other subjects. 109 There are questions about spending so much on computer equipment, maintenance and upgrades when class sizes increase and school budgets shrink across the country. Others are concerned that the large expenditures may mean cuts to art and music programs. 110 Heather-jane Robertson of the Canadian Teachers’ Federation says that children with poor learning skills or those living in poverty or without computers at home need smaller class sizes and more teachers rather than more computers. 111 Media Literacy Media literacy teaches critical thinking and evaluation skills to detect bias and recognize exploitative material from the Internet and other information sources but most provinces have not incorporated it into core curriculum guidelines. However, policies in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Quebec encourage it. In Ontario, media awareness is a mandatory part of the curriculum. 112 To address this learning objective, a Canadian NGO, the Media Awareness Network, has developed two innovative educational computer games to teach children about media literacy on the Internet. 113 Equality of the Sexes: Gender Concerns Article 29 of the UNCRC says that education should advance equality of the sexes. Provincial governments have strategic plans or policy statements for gender equality in education. Most schools across the country include elements of gender equality in the curriculum. There are also a variety of initiatives to redress gender imbalances and encourage girls to pursue science, mathematics, or technology studies. 114 Consequently, increasing numbers of women are enrolled in postsecondary engineering, mathematics and science classes but men still greatly outnumber women in these areas. 115 However, more women than men are currently enrolled in university programs in Canada. Efforts to promote self-esteem in order to redress gender imbalances are carried out across the country. An annual conference by the Calgary Board of Education supports information-sharing and awareness for young girls to make positive life decisions. 116 “Girls! Stories Worth Telling” was a 1998 conference 88 where adolescent girls told their stories about overcoming barriers in education and other areas. A teacher at Rockcliffe Middle School in Toronto started a lunch-time Girls’ Club in 1993 for girls to organize their own activities. 117 Voices Coalition Questionnaire: A program at my high school in Canada addresses the fact that there are fewer girls enrolled in mathematics, science and technology at the secondary school level. In mixed (male/female) classes, girls are often shy and don’t speak. Boys are more involved, answer questions and make decisions. Teachers found that in classes for girls only, girls participated actively and were willing to try and solve problems without worrying about embarrassing themselves in front of boys. 118 Information from the National Longitudinal Study of Children and Youth found that the late elementary school years are “particularly positive for girls.” Research showed that: “Despite societal expectations that boys exceed girls on mathematics, the results indicated no differences between the boys and the girls on this measure. Moreover, the girls were rated higher by their teachers on their academic skills than were boys.” 119 In fact, the results indicate that girls experience more support than boys, who are benefiting less from what school has to offer at this age. The researchers suggest that parents and teachers need to be better informed of boys’ educational needs. 120 Peace and Tolerance: Violence Prevention Despite public perceptions that violence by young people is rising, 121 youth crime has been decreasing. 122 Bullying between students, however, remains a concern. A 1997 Queen’s University survey of 1,954 adolescents from different ethnocultural groups in six secondary schools in Toronto and Vancouver found that 25 percent said they had been bullied at school. 123
Case Law A school is a communication centre for a whole range of values and aspirations of a society. In large part, it defines the values that transcend society through the educational medium. The school is an arena for the exchange of ideas and must, therefore, be premised upon principles of tolerance and impartiality so that all persons within the school environment feel equally free to participate. As the Board of Inquiry stated, a school board has a duty to maintain a positive school environment for all persons served by it. Ross v. School District No. 15, [1996] 124 School-based police programs have been developed to address violence amongst young people. 125 British Columbia recently established an anti-violence centre to intervene with children at risk, combat bullying and prevent violence. 126 Peer helpers act as conflict mediators/supporters at E.J. Sand Public School in Thornhill, Ontario, the Tillicum Elementary School in Victoria, British Columbia and the Jamieson School in Sydney, Nova Scotia. 127 The Strawberry Vale Elementary School in Victoria, British Columbia has a compulsory bully-proofing program from kindergarten to Grade 7. 128 STOP, Students and Teachers Opposed to Prejudice, began in a Red Deer school and has made a significant contribution to the promotion of anti-racism among students and schools in Alberta. 129 There is no comprehensive program or funding available for violence prevention across Canadian schools. 130 Research on violence prevention policies and programs at 126 school boards across the country in 1994 found that: • the education community is involved in a tremendous amount of activity to understand school-based violence and implement effective solutions; • information is disseminated to policy-makers and educators through conferences, teachers’ organizations and university institutions; and • most school boards have policies and/or programs to address violence. 131 It was also found that some schools have adopted a “zero-tolerance” response to youth violence and nearly all schools have statements about suspension and expulsion with regard to students involved in violent acts H O W D O E S C A N A D A M E A S U R E U P ? 89 at school. There is concern that suspension does not address the underlying problems that lead to violence and can further marginalize students who are already at risk of school failure. 132 There are a few initiatives to address homophobic violence in schools. Toronto has a Human Sexuality Program with counselling and classroom presentations and the Triangle Program to offer an alternative place to study for gays who have been harassed at school. Calgary’s Action Plan on Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual Youth and Staff Safety has been protested against by a 250member “Parents Rights in Education” group. 133 The British Columbia Teachers’ Federation’s efforts to fight homophobia and heterosexism in public schools generated a strong negative reaction from the BC Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils. The Surrey School Board disallowed resource materials depicting same-sex families, which was contested in the Chamberlain case. 134 The British Columbia court found that the Surrey School Board exceeded its authority. 135 Matthew Martin of the Gay and Lesbian Community Centre in Vancouver says that “society may be making strides. But in schools today, gay kids continue to be the scum of the earth.” 136 A 1994 Vancouver survey found that a disproportionate number of street youth in the city identified themselves as gay or bisexual, which suggests that homophobia is a factor for dropping out of school. 137 Provincial/Territorial Curricula: Preparation for a Responsible Life British Columbia: • A gender equity program was introduced in 1990. 138 Saskatchewan • Saskatchewan Education has a Gender Equity Policy Statement and promotes gender equity as an integral part of the educational system. 139 Ontario: • The elementary curriculum acknowledges and respects individual differences. 140 • High school students are required to complete a minimum of 40 hours of community involvement. 141
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THE UNCONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF T
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C A N A D I A N C O A L I T I O N F
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articles 13, 14 and 15 (cont’d)
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article 23 (cont’d) NEEDS DIALOGU
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article 28 and 29 (cont’d) NEEDS
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Article 13 The Right to Freedom of
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(c) freedom of peaceful assembly; a
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Promoting the Freedoms C A N A D I
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Page 68 and 69: Coalition Questionnaire: C A N A D
Page 76 and 77: Bibliography Children with Disabili
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Page 108 and 109: Benefit of the Doubt C A N A D I A
Page 110 and 111: Visa Restrictions C A N A D I A N C
Page 112 and 113: Timeliness of the Process C A N A D
Page 114 and 115: Lack of appeal mechanism C A N A D
Page 122 and 123: Process and Protocols PROCESS: Key
Page 130 and 131: Positive Factor C A N A D I A N C O
Page 132 and 133: Concern C A N A D I A N C O A L I T
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This is aproject of the CanadianCoa
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