Search this site

Home


    Like us on     Follow us on    

  
                                                                                                                                                                                             

            OUR MISSION                           
           
               CONTACT US
       
                    SIGN UP    
                                          DONATE   
                
                      ACTION ITEMS
  
TDSB Teacher Posts Explicit Sex-Ed Brochures in Grade 7-8 Class, Toronto Sun

Ontario Catholics should not be intimidated by education minister's warnings, National Post

Ontario Catholic Groups Slam Education Minister for Calling Abortion Misogynistic,

Ontario Tories Say They Won't Reopen Debate Despite Sponsoring News Conference,

Ont. anti-bullying bill at odds with Catholic teachings: Broten, CTV

Broten Sparks Outrage with Misogyny Comments, The Catholic Register

Andrachuk rebukes Broten in open letter, Catholic Register

GSA Coalition Offers to Help Sue Catholic Boards, 

Anti-bullying law unconstitu-
tional, says legal expert, Globe and Mail

P.A.F.E. says no way to London Board Muslim prayer room, PAFE press release, 
SUN News Network coverage

No need to dilute what little is left of our 'separate' school system,

Toronto school board accused of endangering morals of students over website link, poster campaign, 

Toronto School board opens all kids' washroom doors, Sun News Network

"Every man and every woman has a right to educate their children in their religious values," Pope Francis, On Heaven and Earth, trans. mercator.net

Pope Francis tells us that parents are indeed the first educators of their children and that maintaining parents in this role is an essential guard against the spread of totalitarian ways of thinking in any society.  He writes

In the Bible, God presents himself as a teacher.  "I myself taught Ephraim to walk, I myself took them by the arm," it says.  A believer is obliged to raise his children.  Every man and every woman has a right to educate their children in their religious values.  When a government deprives children of this formation, it can lead to cases like Nazism, when children were indoctrinated with values which were alien to the ones held by their parents.  Totalitarianism tends to take over education to feather its own nest.


Catholic Parents Support Trustees Defending Denominational Rights

(TORONTO, May 17, 2013)

            School Trustees Garry Tanuan and John Del Grande proposed a motion to ban Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) anti-bullying clubs and support a Catholic club model called “Respecting Difference” at a Toronto Catholic board meeting April 25th.  President of the Catholic parent group, Parents As First Educators (PAFE), Teresa Pierre, Ph.D. says:  “Parents, staff and lawyers have been concerned that Bill 13 was an unconstitutional infringement on the rights of Catholics in Ontario.  PAFE supports this effort to make sure students are given a solution to bullying which is reasonable and constitutional.”

“Respecting Difference” is a club template proposed by the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association in consultation with the bishops.  Unlike GSAs, these clubs will not promote views of the person that undermine Catholic teachings on marriage, family, and the sanctity of life. 

Tanuan’s motion will offer principals needed safeguards for their conscience rights. Pierre continued, “It is unjust that Bill 13 requires principals, other staff and students to act against their Catholic beliefs by forcing them to host GSA clubs in their schools.” 

Pierre says courts across the country have recognized that no Charter right can infringe on the denominational rights of the schools. In Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Assn. v. Ontario (2001), the Supreme Court of Canada held that section 93 of the Constitution was “absolute in its protection of denominational rights.” 

 As the stewards of the denominational rights of the schools, Trustees have the authority to adjust any provincial law through a Catholic lens.  “Since the provision of Bill 13 requiring GSAs is unconstitutional, then the Trustees have the responsibility to step in to amend provincial law for the Catholic school context,” she said.

 “’Respecting Difference’ clubs are designed to support the constitutional rights of all students in the Catholic board. Our supporters expect the trustees in Toronto to make sure the unconstitutional forcing of GSAs on our Catholic schools is fixed by mandating ‘Respecting Difference’ clubs for all bullying problems. Those who disagree can sue, but we are confident the courts will continue to support the constitutional right to an authentic Catholic school system in Ontario,” concluded Pierre. 

Parents Group Supports Toronto Catholic GSA Ban

(TORONTO, May 1, 2013)

            School Trustees Garry Tanuan and John Del Grande proposed a motion to ban Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) anti-bullying clubs and support a Catholic club model called “Respecting Difference” in Toronto Catholic schools at a board meeting April 25th.  President of the Catholic parent group, Parents As First Educators (PAFE), Teresa Pierre, Ph.D. says:  “PAFE thinks this measure will combat bullying while still respecting the faith concerns of Catholic schools.  PAFE supports this bid to restore Catholic school rights which have been brushed aside by Bill 13.”


text of Trustee Tanuan's motion
Sign the petition to ban GSAs at the Toronto Catholic District School Board

In the press:
Jerry Agar interviews PAFE President, Teresa Pierre, on the Tanuan motion to ban GSAs in Toronto Catholic schools for Newstalk 1010

Graphic Safe-Sex Poster Ends up on Wall of Toronto Middle School Classroom

Toronto Sun, Antonella Artuso
May 7, 2013

TORONTO - Explicit sexual material posted in a Toronto classroom was "totally inappropriate," Education Minister Liz Sandals says.

As revealed by QMI Agency, an occasional teacher at Delta alternative school pinned up brochures meant to advise gay bar and bath house patrons on safe sex procedures.

"Clearly, from what was described in the media, the materials that were being used are totally inappropriate and are in no way connected to the Ontario health and phys ed curriculum," Sandals said Tuesday. "The reason we put a lot of effort into reviewing and defining curriculum is so that teachers in fact do have quite a specific direction.

Related:  Video:  Faith Goldy and Brian Lilley discuss inappropriate teaching in Toronto schools

                Brian Lilley criticizes Chair of Toronto District School Board, Chris Bolton, for not insisting explicit material shouldn't be taught.

Middle School Girls Forced to Ask Classmates for ‘Lesbian Kiss’ During Anti-Bullying Presentation

Christiannews.net, Heather Clark
Red Hook, New York, April 21, 2013

A recent anti-bullying presentation at a middle school in New York that focused on homosexuality and gender identity has angered parents after their daughters have come home to tell them they were forced to ask another girl for a kiss.

According to reports, the session occurred last week at Linden Avenue Middle School in Red Hook, New York, near Poughkeepsie. A group of students from Bard College led two workshops for the youth, separated by gender.

During the workshop for girls, the 13 and 14-year-olds were told to ask one another for a lesbian kiss. They were also taught words such as “pansexual” and “genderqueer.”


AP News Service Abandons the Term "Homophobia"

Toronto, April 8, 2013

        Recently the AP news service abandoned the term "homophobia" altogether because of its lack of clarity. The organization says it unfairly captures people with principled opposition to same-sex sexual acts but who don`t hate homosexuals.  
 
       The AP organization suggested the use of the alternate term "homosceptic."  But this term presents identical problems.  Does this mean that someone is skeptical about homosexuality?  PAFE asks instead:  why try to invent a one-word piece of slang to express a complicated moral statement?  It's an impossible task. 

        Perhaps a clear statement that someone has traditional moral objections to homosexual sex is really unavoidable.


 Chapters/Indigo Pulls Pornographic Material from Website

Toronto, April 8, 2013

        Edmonton parent Shawn Drefs approached us for help after his concerns about soft porn books on the Chapters/Indigo website were brushed off by customer relations.  Shawn wrote in frustration that any child could accidentally call up obscene images when shopping at the site. After we recommended that he inform them that he intended to take the matter public Chapters/Indigo removed the titles from their website.
 
        Thanks, Shawn, for your great email:

Hi Teresa - thank you so much for the information you sent me. I re-contacted Chapters/Indigo using some of the info you sent and they are removing the content from their website.  Whether or not the reason stated in their response to me below is true I am grateful that the content has been removed. Thanks again for your help just wanted to let you know.  Have a wonderful Easter weekend.

Shawn Drefs

        The regulatory situation on the selling of pornographic material in Canada is looser than in the US.  Here the focus has been on government-facilitated industry self-regulation.  Until those regulations are tightened, this kind of parental pressure on individual companies will be necessary.  Kudos to Shawn for his persistence.

Yukon Education Minister Forbids Catholic Schools from Teaching Catholic Teaching on Homosexuality

Whitehorse Daily Star, Ashley Joannou
Whitehorse, Yukon March 20, 2013
 
Vanier Catholic Secondary School's Policy on gay students must be changed to meet Yukon human rights laws, says Educaiton Minister Scott Kent.

In an open letter to Bishop Gary Gordon of the Catholic Episcopal Corp. of Whitehorse, the minister writes that the "policy is inconsistent with and does not meet all of the requirements of Yukon Education's policies and likely other laws in force in the Yukon such as the Human Rights Act, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and other case law on equality rights."


Jewish, Sikh, Muslim and Christian Leaders Protest Manitoba Anti-bullying Bill

National Post, Steve Lambert
 Toronto, 15/03/2013

More religious leaders have joined opposition to Manitoba's proposed anti-bullying law, saying religious schools must not be forced to accommodate groups that promote equality for gays and lesbians.
"Orthodox Judaism believes in the sancity of the Bible that rejects homosexuality, as do other great religions," reads a letter to Premier Greg Selinger by Rabbi Ayrohom Altein of Winnipeg.  

"It would be the height of intolerance to ban a religious group from teaching and practising as it believes."


Minnesota Archdiocese Protests Anti-Bullying Bill

From the Minneapolis/St. Paul Archdiocese blog, THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Same-sex ‘marriage’ is just the beginning

 MARCH 15, 2013 2:16 PM 

JASON ADKINS

By the time you read this column, legislation to redefine marriage (HF 1054/SF 925) will likely have been passed out of committees in both the Minnesota House and Senate, and sent to the floor of each chamber, where it could receive a full vote at any time. (Have you called or visited your elected officials?)...

Prevention of school bullying or re-education camp?

Much ink has been spilled inside and outside the Church critiquing the irrationality of this false movement of liberation.

Irrational ideas cannot subsist in a true marketplace of ideas. Criticism must be shut down or the Big Lie will be exposed.

This is plainly the case in the context of the marriage debate, where intimidation and name calling are used in the social sphere to silence people (or churches). If marriage is redefined, the coercion of silence will enter the legal sphere, where real penalties will befall those so-called “bigots” who “discriminate” by clinging to the traditional definition of marriage.

But it will not end there. In fact, the schools are the ideal place to foster this new regime of “tolerance,” and forcefully suppress any bad thoughts or “hate” speech that may emerge.

Enter HF 826/SF 783, the “Safe and Supportive Schools Act,” which is being sold as a measure to combat school bullying.


Fraser Report:  More Top Performing Schools Catholic

Excerpt from  "Trustees Could Learn Something from Fraser Study," 

TheRecord.com, Luisa D'Amato
Waterloo, Ontario February 21, 2013

As education reporter for many years at this paper, I always found it interesting that Catholic schools often outperformed their public counterparts in standardized tests.

And once again, seven of the top 10 schools in the region are Catholic schools, according to the Fraser report, even though there are fewer Catholic schools overall.  Nine out of the 10 poorest performing schools in the region are public schools.

The public school trustees would routinely look for explanations outside their control, claiming that public schools attracted more immigrant students who are learning English. Or they might claim that the public board had better special education programs and therefore attracted more learning-disabled students, which skewed the results.

But look at the data and it's not so simple.  Take a look at two schools in Preston--Preston Public School and St. Joseph Catholic School.

Not one of these two schools had any students surveyed who were designated as immigrant learning English.  Parental incomem was $88, 700 at Preston, and $60, 400 at St. Joseph.   Preston had 20 per cent special-need students and St. Joseph 25 per cetn.

Yet St. Joseph, with its lower-income parents and higher level of special needs - was ranked 8 out of 10.  It was 313th among the 2,714 schools in the province.

Preston was ranked an unimpressive 4.6 out of 10 and stood at 2148th out of 2714.

If I were a parent living there, I'd want to know what St. Joseph was doing that Preston could be doing.  I'd want officials to stop posturing and start asking serious questions.

Instead of dismissing the valuable research of the Fraser Institute, the school board administrators and trustees should be poring over it.

Catholic Schools Succeed to the Extent They Maintain Religious Identity:  Expert

Wall Street Journal, Cardinal Timothy Dolan
Toronto, February 21, 2013

In an article for the Wall Street Journal from January 31, 2013, Cardinal Timothy Dolan quoted US education expert Diane Ravitch, "To me, and I am not Catholic, the success of Catholic schools depends on maintaining their religious identity, that is, keeping the crucifixes in the classrooms as well as the freedom to speak freely about one's values."


Think Tank Wonders Just What IS Wrong with Canadian Schools?

Ottawa, February 18, 2013

Brian Lilley features a five-part series on his show, Byline, about what's wrong with Canadian schools, called "Common Sense Education" produced by the Frontier Centre for Public Policy and the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies.

Part I:  What's wrong with Canadian schools?
Part II:  No zero policies
Part III:  Flaws in the New Math

Parents Question Approach of Brampton Parents Suing for Exemptions from Religious Education Classes

Toronto, February 17, 2013

A parent in Brampton is suing his Catholic school board to allow his child to be opted out of religion classes at his Catholic high school.

Parents have responded that removing a child from religion class won't alleviate the problem of a child's exposure to the faith at teh school.  Parent Mary Rebello spoke to the Toronto Observer saying  "I was following it on the news and I don't really understand how if a Catholic school is really Catholic, even if you end up opting out of religion class you can't opt out of the Catholicity of the school because it's there. 

From my experience having attended Catholic school, it's in everything, it's not something that ends when you go into the door of math class...it's a way of living and looking at life."


Kathleen Wynne Says She Will Bring Back Sex-Ed Curriculum

Toronto, February 3, 2013

Kathleen Wynne stunned parents this week by announcing to the gay and lesbian magazine X-tra! that she planned to bring back the radical sex-education curriculum shelved by Premier McGuinty in 2012.  At the time parents made an uproar over the introduction of multiple sexual orientations in grade three and the mechanics of gay sex in seventh grade. The Ottawa Citizen has since revealed a number of groups are supporting the resurrection of the sex-education initiative.  

PAFE discussed Wynne's extreme agenda on Michael Coren's show, the Arena, on January 29.

Ottawa Catholic Student Has Strong Words for Board

Ottawa, January 27, 2013

An Ottawa high school student told members of the board on January 22 that he was disappointed by recent scandals hitting the board.  He said these experiences were making him question the value of his education:  
  
 As a student who goes to a Catholic School, when I hear about stuff like this, it kind of makes me feel disappointed and ashamed to have the name Catholic on our school because we have betrayed our morals for secular values.  As Catholics, we are supposed to be lights to the world.  But instead, how can we, if our lights are already out?

PAFE says simply, "Bravo!" 

The board chair, Mark Mullan, sent PAFE a letter saying that a response would be coming from board in two to three weeks, in about mid-February.

Ottawa Parents Protest Partnership Scandals

"Explicit Policy" Needed to Uphold Goals of Education   
 B.C. Catholic ,Deborah Gyapong   
 Vancouver, January 26, 2013          
Brian Lilley, Sun Media columnist, is a parent to four children in the Catholic school system.

About 100 concerned ratepayers joined the Jan. 22 meeting of the Ottawa Catholic School Board (OCSB), insisting on tighter protocols for vetting speakers and school trips.

In a presentation to the board, Parents as First Educators (PAFE) Ottawa chapter president Andy Pocrnic cited four recent “public scandals” that have led to “the public perception of a weakening of our board’s Catholic identity, sowed confusion in the minds of our students and demoralized parents.” 

Pocrnic listed a proposed civics trip by high school students to campaign for American President Obama; a visit by Liberal leadership hopeful MP Justin Trudeau to a Catholic elementary school to talk about bullying; an upcoming social justice trip involving visits to El Salvador; and the co-op placement of a student with “a homosexual activist organization.”  


PAFE Asks Why Ottawa Student Not Allowed to Address Mtg.

Ottawa, January 22, 2013

           Over a hundred parents packed the Ottawa Catholic Board Office Tuesday night to demand answers about a series of board partnerships with people and groups actively hostile toward basic teachings of the Catholic faith.  Parents As First Educators President, Teresa Pierre said, "Right now problems are happening throughout the board and this suggests a system-wide problem.  It's time for Trustees to come up with a protocol for vetting speakers."  

            One ratepayer, Terry Tate, was further discouraged to discover on site that, despite a week of negotiations with board staff to assure her son, a high-school student in the board, would be allowed to speak, the chair of the board denied him his speech on grounds that he was not a ratepayer.  Apparently the delegation policy could use some work as well.
            Trustees offered no comments or questions on the presentations.  PAFE hopes that the lesson that the taxpayers who pay their bills deserve good accounting from their elected representatives was conveyed and that the board's response to the parental requests will be made public soon.

            The full text of the PAFE presentation is available here.

Lifesite and Lifesite readers comment on meeting

January 7, PAFE post on principal's implausible deniability   

January 8, Brian Lilley's blog at Lilley's Pad       

Parents Protest Trudeau Appearance at Sudbury School

Toronto, December 19, 2012

            Pro-choice politician Justin Trudeau is to appear at a Sudbury Catholic school event this week to discuss the youth leadership program Katimavik.  He is scheduled to appear on Friday, December 21 at St. Charles College.

            Sudbury Catholic Trustee Estelle Scappatura stated to the Sudbury Northern Life newspaper on December 18 that she opposed Trudeau's appearance at the school:  "it's against the dogma of our church to be pro-abortion.  That's just what I'm trying to protect -- the teachings of our church."  P.A.F.E. congratulates this Trustee for speaking out according to her conscience.  The event was cancelled due to a snow day at the board.  Trudeau spoke to a small group of staff and students at the school Friday morning, according to parents.  See the story in LifesiteNews.                                                                 

Read more

  • Sudbury Star, December 21.   Parents protest outside the board office in Sudbury regarding Justin Trudeau's planned appearance at St. Charles College.   This story appeared throughout the province in the SUN chain of papers.
  • Sudbury Star, letters to the editor requesting cancellation of event
  • The controversy was discussed by Aaron Wherry at MacLeans.ca and by Michael Coren on The Arena. 

Pope Says Church Should Partner with Charities Faithful to Church Teachings 

Toronto, December 3, 2012

 On December 1, 2012 Pope Benedict XIV issued a Motu Proprio, a letter titled "De Caritate Ministranda," stating that charities supported by the Church must be concordant with Church teachings:  "The collective charitable initiatives to which this Motu Proprio refers are required to follow Catholic principles in their activity."  

Bishops and priests of the diocese will be responsible for ensuring that the staff of such organizations believe or "at least respect" Catholic teaching:

They are to prevent publicity being given through parish or diocesan structures to initiatives which, while presenting themselves as charitable, propose choices or methods at odds with the Church's teachings.

If a bishop concludes that a charity is not conforming to Church teaching the bishop is to make this known to the faithful and revoke the agency's use of the name "Catholic."  
Father Seeks to Have Parents Recognized as First Educators

Toronto, November 26, 2012

Hamilton father, Steve Tourlakis appeared in court last week seeking a court declaration that he has the right to receive notice when schools plan to teach material that contravenes his Christian beliefs as well as the right to exempt his children from those lessons.  If successful, the declaration would be a victory for the parental voice as the fundamental authority over the education of their children.

Dad Defends Parental Rights in Education, Catholic Register

No Special Treatment for LGBT Students In Alberta Bullying Policies

Toronto, November 23, 2012

The Calgary Herald reported that the Alberta School Boards voted at a meeting on Nov. 19 not to single out LGBT students for special considerations in their bullying policies.  

Ottawa Catholic School Plans, Cancels Trip to Assist Obama

Toronto, November 2, 2012   

Ottawa parents were distressed to hear this week that students from two Ottawa-area separate high schools, St. Matthew’s and St. Peter’s, were sending students on a trip involving active participation in the Obama campaign in Ohio.  And so they complained to the Ottawa Catholic School Board that it was unsuitable for a Catholic school to be sponsoring the trip.  The board cancelled the trip, according to Vice Chair Ted Hurley on Nov. 1.

Parents said that their children told them that the teacher was clear that the trip was intended to help   the Obama campaign and that the students would be participating in events such as door             photo:  MichaelBerry.com     knocking and get out the vote.   Read more

Boards Speak Out on Catholic Right to Teach Doctrine

Toronto, October 30, 2012

The York and Toronto Catholic boards sent letters to the Ministry of Education this week affirming that they will stand by the schools' constitutional rights to teach Catholic doctrines on the life issues and homosexuality.   Their letters were sent in response to remarks made by the Minister on October 10 stating that the passage of Bill 13 was intended to convey that the Ministry would not tolerate any teachings in schools which threaten "human rights".   P.A.F.E. spokesman, Teresa Pierre, congratulates York Trustees for speaking up on behalf of their constituents and hopes that they will continue to promote an equally clear policy banning GSAs in their schools. 

York Board letter
                 
Broten:  Genie is Out of the Bottle Now!

Toronto, October 16, 2012
 
National Post reporter Sarah Boesveld pressed Education Minister Laurel Broten's office on October 15 on her plans to obstruct Catholic teaching on homosexuality and the life issues in the schools. The Minister said her remarks were not intended to threaten the Catholic schools rights to direct their curriculum.  
 
In a statement provided to the Post Monday, Ms. Broten said "the Government of Ontario is committed to support for Catholic education and denominational rights" and that "the discussions of the last week were not about what is taught or is not taught in our Catholic schools." The curriculum, she said, remains unchanged.
 
Broten's remarks are not likely to remove parental concerns. The genie is out of the bottle now. Asked for her comment PAFE president, Teresa Pierre, told Boesveld:
 

Regardless of where she was directing the comment, Ms. Broten's lack of clarity and introduction of Bill 13 into a discussion on abortion sent the wrong message to Catholic parents already worried that the anti-bullying bill is the beginning of a bigger move to erase church's values and morals from Catholic schools, said Teresa Pierre, the president of Catholic parents' group Parents As First Educators.

 

"Parents who were concerned [Bill 13] would be used to silence Catholic teaching on homosexuality have now seen that in her mind this bill concerns the life issues too."


Ontario Pressures Catholic Schools Over Abortion, National Catholic Register
Ontario Catholics should not be intimidated by education minister’s warnings

 Special to National Post, Teresa Pierre

Toronto, Oct 15, 2012 


 Once in awhile there comes an issue that refuses to be swept under the carpet. It seizes popular consciousness and refuses to let go.  Two such issues are currently causing parallel firestorms over religious freedom.

 

In the United States there is the HHS mandate that forces hospitals and schools among other Catholic institutions to provide insurance that covers free contraception to their employees — despite the obvious insult to Catholic teaching.  

In Ontario, there was the controversial anti-bulling legislation, Bill 13, enacted into law in June that requires Catholic schools to allow the formation of activist clubs called Gay-Staight Alliances (GSAs) when requested by students.

Read more     

Education Minister Fires on Catholic School

Toronto, October 12, 2012 

Education Minister Laurel Broten ratcheted up tensions between the government and Catholic schools this week by suggesting that Church teachings that conflict with the Accepting Schools Act should not be taught in Ontario schools.  

She made her remarks at a press conference on a pro-life campaign to end abortion funding in Ontario.  She said that schools should not teach Church teachings on homosexuality or abortion because they contradict the recently passed Accepting Schools Act (Bill 13). A transcript  of the event reports that Broten said:

                  Bill 13 has a clear indication of ensuring that our schools are safe, accepting places for all our students.  That includes 
                  LGBTQ students...Bill 13 is about tackling misogyny, taking away a woman's right to choose could arguably be one of   
                  the most misogynistic actions that one could take. 
 
                  We do not allow and we're very clear with the passage of Bill 13 that Catholic teachings cannot be taught in our 
                  schools that violates human rights and which brings a lack of acceptance to participation in schools.

PAFE President Teresa Pierre protested the government move in an opinion piece in the National Post, "Ontario Catholics should not be intimidated by education minister's warnings."

Like our Catholic brothers and sisters to the South fighting Obamacare's suppression of conscience rights, it's time to say we're not going to take it anymore!  We need to resist this Minister's attempt to place her version of essential "rights" (as legal expert Faye Sonier has pointed out, Canadian law does not contain a "right" to abortion, according to The New American blog) above the Constitutional rights of the schools.  Bill 13 violates religious freedom!  Catholics have a Constitutionally guaranteed right to teach their religious teachings in their schools. Catholic ratepayers need to tell Premier McGuinty and Minister Broten that they have gone too far this time. The Accepting Schools Act cannot be used as a means to silence us! 

                     Start by calling your Trustee and saying that action starts with him/her, as the guardian of our schools.     
                     Trustees must stand up and protect the schools and Catholic administrators by passing a policy to ban  
                     GSAs in Catholic schools.  See next story.


Respecting Difference Campaign
   
       
Bill 13, passed in June, 2012 requires Catholic schools to offer Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) if students request them.  Catholic Trustees must now protect Catholic schools from GSA groups that are dedicated to opposing Catholic teaching on homosexual sex.
             
    Help  P.A.F.E. by calling your Catholic Trustee and asking them to call anti-
    bullying clubs in Ontario separate schools "Respecting Difference" clubs, the  
    responsible and Constitutional alternative to GSAs.                      
         
     Why do we need this campaign?  Read on ...

   (Photo: Victoria Ptashnick/Toronto Sun)

Parent group 
urges Catholic school trustees to defy law supporting gay club, National Post
Parent group wants Trustees to fight Bill 13, Catholic Register
Listen here to an interview by Lou Iacobelli with Teresa Pierre, P.A.F.E. President, on his show Family Matters, "Supporting Respecting Difference in the Schools." on Radio teopoli, AM 530.

Cardus Think Tank Says Bill 13 Open to Legal Challenge

Toronto, October 12, 2012 

Ottawa based think tank Cardus has published a legal opinion by constitutional lawyer Eugene Meehan stating that Bill 13 violates the religious freedoms of Catholic schools.  P.A.F.E. President Teresa Pierre welcomes the legal opinion, which reinforces the conclusions of the P.A.F.E. legal opinion on Bill 13 from Geoff Cauchi.  "We believe the Cardus opinion will encourage Ontario Catholics, board officials and Trustees to support board policies that refuse to allow GSAs in our schools and stand up for the Catholic denominational rights of the boards."

The legal opinion states that the Accepting Schools Act violates the rights of Catholic schools to handle bullying using a Catholic model of bullying Club.  It states that multiple elements of Bill 13

disregard Catholic doctrine and ignore constitutionally afforded denominational protection. They open the door for a "one size fits all" model that fails to respect Catholic differences and the purpose behind having separate school systems.  

P.A.F.E. has posted the legal opinion at their site.  It is also available at the Cardus site.                                            

P.A.F.E. Protests Effects of Bill 13 on Schools


This Ain't No Veggie Tale


Toronto, Sept. 27, 2012

SUN news reporter Joe Warmington reported the morning of Sept. 27 that the Toronto District school board was offering up graphic sexual advice to teens at its website.  A webpage belonging to the Coalition for Positive Sexuality that is part of the Board's "Positive Spaces" campaign advises kids about a range of uses for sex toys and vegetables.  Reporter Rebecca Thompson interviewed P.A.F.E. president Teresa Pierre, who said parents were outraged.  "Who is the "Positive Spaces" campaign positive for?"  she asked, "Not kids."   

Pierre said the appearance of the webpage should be a warning to Catholic Trustees since Gay-Straight Alliances also promote these kinds of campaigns. "This is further evidence of why Catholic Trustees should be promoting a GSA ban in Catholic schools," Pierre said.

She said that other parts of Canada are experiencing a similar push by gay activists to bring information that aggressively sexualizes children into the schools..  The "Out in Schools campaign last year in BC was a similar project.


The webpage was removed by mid-day after public outcry.

Watch video:   PAFE President Teresa Pierre says parents oppose  their children being given  access to detailed sexual how-tos at school.


Toronto Posters Promoting "Positive Space":  What Are They Teaching?   


       

Toronto, Sept. 24, 2012


The Toronto District School Board has released poster promoting    cross-dressing for children as well as partners of more than one sexual orientation  as part of its Positive Spaces campaign.   Parents as First Educators (P.A.F.E.) finds the Gender Based Violence  Prevention (GBVP) posters being distributed to Toronto schools to be one more effort aimed at sexual education of young people without parental consent.  The GBVP posters are not approved by parents but are being supplied by a school board.  Parents can view them at the TDSB website  P.A.F.E. president, Teresa Pierre, Ph.D. states, "Why can't the education system in Ontario just teach our children the basics, and stop trying to provide them with sexual indoctrination at every turn?"    

In one of the posters, "The Love Has No Gender" GBVP poster, top left, a couple of the heart-shaped frames contain three stick figures.  Many parents, media figures, and parent 

organizations protested this poster because it could be interpreted to promote multiple sexual

partners, if not polygamy, which is illegal in Canada.  Brian Lilley commented on Byline that

during the debates on legalizing same-sex marriage, many people said that redefining marriage beyond heterosexual marriage would open the door to normalizing polygamy.  He criticized the posters for pushing imagery that appears to imply multiple partners.  He predicts that in the near future, say the next five years or so, it will have become mainstream.    

                                                            Read more                                                                                          


Related:  Ontario Christian group sues for advance notice of public school lesson plans, National Post 

Cardus Think Tank Says Bill 13 Open to Legal Challenge

Toronto, October 12, 2012 

Ottawa based think tank Cardus has published a legal opinion by constitutional lawyer Eugene Meehan stating that Bill 13 violates the religious freedoms of Catholic schools.  P.A.F.E. President Teresa Pierre welcomes the legal opinion, which reinforces the conclusions of the P.A.F.E. legal opinion on Bill 13 from Geoff Cauchi.  "We believe the Cardus opinion will encourage Ontario Catholics, board officials and Trustees to support board policies that refuse to allow GSAs in our schools and stand up for the Catholic denominational rights of the boards."

The legal opinion states that the Accepting Schools Act violates the rights of Catholic schools to handle bullying using a Catholic model of bullying Club.  It states that multiple elements of Bill 13

disregard Catholic doctrine and ignore constitutionally afforded denominational protection. They open the door for a "one size fits all" model that fails to respect Catholic differences and the purpose behind having separate school systems.  

P.A.F.E. has posted the legal opinion at their site.  It is also available at the Cardus site.

Accepting Schools Act Threatens Religious Freedom

Bill 13 Throws Mainline Religions Under the Bus     

Toronto, May 29, 2012

Cardinal Thomas Collins announced on May 28 that the imposition of Gay-Straight Alliances on Ontario Catholic schools should alarm all Ontarians.  He said that this represented a threat to religious liberty.
 
        To our friends and neighbours of other faiths, or of no faith, including those   who disagree with any or all of the beliefs of 
        the Catholic Church, and those who personally support the beliefs that form the context for GSAs: please consider the 
        implications fo all when legislation is enacted that overrides the deeply held beliefs of any faith community in our province, 
        and intrudes on its freedom to act in a way that is in accord with its principles of conscience.  If it happens to us, it can 
        happen to you, on this and other issues.  When religious freedom becomes a second class right, you also will eventually be 
.       affected. 

                  
  
 Parents -Take Back our Classrooms!

Parents As First Educators is about publicly funded Ontario schools that reflect the same values you teach 
your kids.  Unfortunately 
these days the education "experts" don't always seem to share those values.  If you are tired of feeling that your children are being provided with more information about sex than they need, if you think schools should not be able to override your rights to teach your children, if you think that traditional parenting approaches trump experimental sociological theories most of the time, then PAFE is for you.   

As explained on Brian Lilley's program, Byline, we have a three-step plan to help parents speak out!    

  It's called THE PROACTIVE PARENT'S PLAN and you can read more about it here.

~ Broadcasters John Gormley and Brian Lilley show why parents have to push back to make sure students don't get "fed" the latest, craziest fads in education.  Watch the interview from Lilley's program, Byline.