Dear Friend,
Does the government know how to raise our children better than we do? Are they better qualified to judge what is best for our children than we are?
Should governments be able to impose their ideologies on our children? Do our children need to be protected from us because we uphold biblical truths in our homes?
Children are first and foremost the responsibility of their parents, not of the state. Freedom of religion, as guaranteed by our Charter, includes the right to educate our children in a manner consistent with our beliefs and convictions. This means we have the right to opt out of public schools and to place our children where our religious and conscientious beliefs are upheld and integrated into their learning.
This right is meaningless if the government can force faith-based schools to promote ideas that do not align with their mission. That’s why we should be deeply concerned over what’s happening in Alberta.
In November 2017, the Alberta government passed Bill 24, An Act to Support Gay-Straight Alliances, that amended the School Act in several ways. It requires all schools that receive any public funding – from kindergarten on through high school – to:
- sign attestations that they are promoting Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs);
- immediately establish GSAs upon a student’s request, without having to obtain the approval of the governing board or parents and without regard for whether such groups are compatible with the school’s mission or religious convictions;
- ensure that “Safe and Caring” policies, which must be posted prominently on the schools’ websites, welcome and affirm the rights of LGBTQ students;
- limit parental notification only to the existence of GSAs or GSA-related activities, but not what activities are taking place or what ideologies are being promoted and by whom; and
- not disclose a child’s participation in a GSA or GSA-related activities to the parents.
GSAs were instituted by the government in Alberta in 2015 to compel schools to offer a safe, accepting and supportive environment for LGBTQ students and to promote anti-bullying initiatives and awareness of issues facing LGBTQ youth.
Seeking to protect vulnerable students is a commendable goal. In fact, most Christian schools already have clubs that address issues of bullying, inclusiveness, sexuality and gender. These groups seek to ensure safe and caring places that are free from bullying, but in a way that is consistent with their beliefs and commitments – that is, from a faith perspective. These schools do not support ideologically-driven GSAs because such groups reinforce beliefs and assumptions that contradict our biblical understanding of love and sexuality. Under Bill 24, these schools may lose their funding and/or accreditation.
As well, Bill 24 forces principals of faith-based schools to defy their school’s own mandate because they must authorize GSAs immediately. Compelling a school to express the government’s views in its own policies seriously undermines the rights of the school to preserve its values and unique character.
In addition, by prohibiting schools from disclosing their child’s participation in GSAs or GSA-related activities, Bill 24 encroaches upon the parents’ responsibility for their children’s social and emotional development. It infringes on the right of parents to educate their children according to their faith commitments and assumes that issues of sexual identity, gender, and morality are best handled by the state. Surely, keeping secrets from the parents undermines their ability to support and protect their own children!
Education Alberta has also recently ordered dozens of schools to remove many faith-based statements from their Safe and Caring policies. Phrases like “the unchangeable and infallible truth of the Word of God,” “men and women were created in the image of God” and “godly attitudes toward marriage and the family” were deemed to be “unwelcoming, uncaring, and/or disrespectful.” Policies like “student groups will reflect and/or be in harmony with teachings of Scripture and the values and faith perspective of the school community” were deemed unacceptable because they suggest that “alternative viewpoints are not equally legitimate.”
A coalition of faith-based schools, individuals, educational organizations and parent organizations has launched a court challenge, led by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF), against the Minister of Education. They are challenging the constitutionality of Bill 24 and seeking to defend our freedoms of conscience, religion, expression and association, as well as our parental rights. This legal challenge won’t be heard until next year and may well make its way slowly up to the Supreme Court.
As the case has yet to be heard, the coalition had sought a temporary injunction of Bill 24 to delay its implementation in the affected schools, especially in light of the constitutional freedoms that are at stake in this case. In June, Alberta’s lower court dismissed the injunction, but an appeal of this decision is being heard this month. And the EFC has been granted intervenor status.
Ultimately, our Charter freedoms are meaningless if a government can impose its beliefs on faith-based institutions. Help us stand up for our freedoms and our parental rights. Your faithful prayers and generous donations make a tremendous difference!
Sincerely,
Bruce Clemenger
President