A demonstration took place today at the Ottawa Catholic School Board Administration building. This was by a group called “Parents and Students Against Student Indoctrination.” This group has held similar demonstrations in front of our coterminous Board at the OCDSB. While we respect the right to demonstrate peacefully, our Board remains committed to addressing systemic barriers and upholding Gospel values that promote the dignity of all human beings.
As a publicly funded School Board, our Equity and Inclusive Education policy is based on the Ontario Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy and embraces multiculturalism, human rights and diversity as fundamental values. This strategy establishes curriculum requirements for schools to teach about human rights based on the Ontario Human Rights Code. At the Ottawa Catholic School Board, we continue to be guided by Catholic social teachings that direct us to establish an educational community that welcomes all and respects diversity, inclusion, and fairness.
A vital component of this work is to help our students to grow into responsible and socially conscious citizens who believe that all people should be treated with dignity and respect. At the Ottawa Catholic School Board, we stand against any form of discrimination or harassment related to a person’s race, gender, sexuality, or social status.