Canadian parents don’t want schools to push students into political activism

Field trips are often the highlight of a child’s school experience. But a recent “field trip” in downtown Toronto was memorable for all the wrong reasons, highlighting the disconnect between a government school board pushing kids into political activism and the strong parental preference that schools eschew political bias.

Last week, several schools in the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) sent their students to a day of action by the people of Grassy Narrows First Nation, ostensibly so students could listen to the speeches and learn about mercury contamination in rivers.

While the permission letter that went home to parents stated that students would not take part in the protest, video footage and eyewitness testimony tell a different story. And the protest morphed into geopolitical issue far from downtown Toronto. Not only were students encouraged to chant anti-Israel slogans such as “From Turtle Island to Palestine, occupation is a crime,” but pictures from the event show students carrying handmade protest signs amid a heavy police presence.

Children as young as eight participated. No matter what one thinks about the current Israel/Hamas conflict, most people agree that eight-year-old kids are not old enough to comprehend the complex issues behind it. At the very least, they should not be coopted into a political protest, especially something so potentially volatile it requires a heavy police presence.

When the TDSB apologized, the vice-president of the Elementary Teachers of Toronto union local said the apology was racist, amounted to the board not standing with teachers and children, and said the organizations that expressed concern (namely, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center) were “spying on our children.”

Perhaps inconveniently for some, “our children” in this case belong to their parents, and those parents did not provide informed consent. Ontario Education Minister Jill Dunlop has ordered an investigation into the field trip. But clearly, by allowing its schools to participate, the TDSB has demonstrated once again that it has lost sight of what should be the primary focus of every school—teaching and learning.

Students attend school to learn how to read, write and do math. They should also learn about the history of our country, form good character and civic responsibility, develop an understanding of science, and gain an appreciation for music and art. These are things that all parents, regardless of political affiliation, can agree upon.

The moment any government public school departs from these common goals, they risk losing the trust of parents.

Indeed, a 2024 Leger poll (commissioned by the Fraser Institute) found that 76 per cent of parents of K-12 kids in Canada believe students should hear both sides of controversial issues, or they should be avoided entirely.

Another 91 per cent of parents believe classroom material and discussions should always be age-appropriate, and 81 per cent believe schools should provide advance notice if controversial topics are discussed during class or formal school activities.

In this case, the TDSB field trip respected none of these strong parental preferences.

Of course, if students or families wish to get involved in protests on their own time, that’s perfectly fine. And students should be allowed to write about the Middle East conflict for their English essay assignments and talk about these issues in class, so long as teachers ensure that the discussion remains balanced and parents receive a heads-up.

Finally, this fiasco underscores the importance of school choice. In Ontario, no portion of parents’ tax dollars follow their kids to the school of their choice, unlike in other provinces including Manitoba where independent schools are more accessible to families of all income levels. If Ontario families can’t afford full tuition at an independent school, their kids likely attend the local government public school, like those within the TDSB.

If the Ontario government helped fund independent schools, more families could afford them and those independent schools would be accountable to those families. And with increased competition for students, TDSB administrators might listen more to parental concerns about political bias.

Canadian parents are right—no school should ever push students into political activism. Education must be about academics, not activism.

Author:

Michael Zwaagstra

Senior Fellow, Fraser Institute

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Education

Our Kids Are Struggling To Read. Phonics Is The Easy Fix

Published on March 29, 2025

Todayville

From the Frontier Centre for Public Policy

By Michael Zwaagstra

One Manitoba school division is proving phonics works

If students don’t learn how to read in school, not much else that happens there is going to matter.

This might be a harsh way of putting it, but it’s the truth. Being unable to read makes it nearly impossible to function in society. Reading is foundational to everything, even mathematics.

That’s why Canadians across the country should be paying attention to what’s happening in Manitoba’s Evergreen School Division. Located in the Interlake region, including communities like Gimli, Arborg and Winnipeg Beach, Evergreen has completely overhauled its approach to reading instruction—and the early results are promising.

Instead of continuing with costly and ineffective methods like Reading Recovery and balanced literacy, Evergreen has adopted a structured literacy approach, putting phonics back at the centre of reading instruction.

Direct and explicit phonics instruction teaches students how to sound out the letters in words. Rather than guessing words from pictures or context, children are taught to decode the language itself. It’s simple, evidence-based, and long overdue.

In just one year, Evergreen schools saw measurable gains. A research firm evaluating the program found that five per cent more kindergarten to Grade 6 students were reading at grade level than the previous year. For a single year of change, that’s a significant improvement.

This should not be surprising. The science behind phonics instruction has been clear for decades. In the 1960s, Dr. Jeanne Chall, director of the Harvard Reading Laboratory, conducted extensive research into reading methods and concluded that systematic phonics instruction produces the strongest results.

Today, this evidence-based method is often referred to as the “science of reading” because the evidence overwhelmingly supports its effectiveness. While debates continue in many areas of education, this one is largely settled. Students need to be explicitly taught how to read using phonics—and the earlier, the better.

Yet Evergreen stands nearly alone. Manitoba’s Department of Education does not mandate phonics in its public schools. In fact, it largely avoids taking a stance on the issue at all. This silence is a disservice to students—and it’s a missed opportunity for genuine reform.

At the recent Manitoba School Boards Association convention, Evergreen trustees succeeded in passing an emergency motion calling on the association to lobby education faculties to ensure that new teachers are trained in systematic phonics instruction. It’s a critical first step—and one that should be replicated in every province.

It’s a travesty that the most effective reading method isn’t even taught in many teacher education programs. If new teachers aren’t trained in phonics, they’ll struggle to teach their students how to read—and the cycle of failure will continue.

Imagine what could happen if every province implemented structured literacy from the start of Grade 1. Students would become strong readers earlier, be better equipped for all other subjects, and experience greater success throughout school. Early literacy is a foundation for lifelong learning.

Evergreen School Division deserves credit for following the evidence and prioritizing real results over educational trends. But it shouldn’t be alone in this.

If provinces across Canada want to raise literacy rates and give every child a fair shot at academic success, they need to follow Evergreen’s lead—and they need to do it now.

All students deserve to learn how to read.

Michael Zwaagstra is a public high school teacher and a senior fellow at the Frontier Centre for Public Policy.

Alberta

Province pumping $100 million into Collegiates and Dual-Credit hands-on learning programs

Published on March 28, 2025

Government of Alberta

Alberta’s government is helping students discover their skills and interests today, to help them find careers for tomorrow.

If passed, Budget 2025 will provide more than $100 million over three years for school boards to grow career education programs, including funding for more collegiate and dual-credit programs across Alberta.

“We are working to set students up for success by strengthening job-focused education. This money is helping schools partner with businesses, universities and colleges to create programs that will help students hit the ground running after they graduate.”

Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Education

Career education helps students gain credits towards graduation while earning hands-on experience in fields like the trades, computer programming, health care, agriculture, culinary arts and more. These career education programs support a strong economy by helping students learn the skills they need to get in-demand jobs.

Collegiate schools

Collegiate schools work with businesses, universities and colleges to offer classes that give students pathways to education and careers in the job of their choice. There are 12 collegiate schools in Alberta, offering many different types of programming for grades 7-12, including aviation, graphic design, trades and more.

If passed, Budget 2025 provides more than $21 million to school boards to help fund special classrooms like carpentry workshops, film and media rooms, science laboratories, heavy equipment simulators and aircraft hangars. Another $6 million is being invested to support the start-up costs for new collegiate schools.

Dual-credit programs

Budget 2025, if passed, also provides $4.6 million in 2025/26 to start new or improve existing dual-credit programs. In partnership with universities and colleges, dual-credit programs give students a head start on rewarding careers by allowing them to earn high-school and post-secondary credits at the same time. Of the $4.6 million, $550,000 is being provided by Alberta Seniors, Community and Social Services for new and improved dual-credit health care aide programs.

“Health care aides play a critical role in ensuring Albertans receive the continuing care services they need to maintain their health, independence and quality of life. Our investments into career pathways for health care aides will provide opportunities for young Albertans to develop the skills they need to build a rewarding career in Alberta’s continuing care workforce.”

Jason Nixon, Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services

Another $1.4 million is being invested to support students participating in off-campus career education programs through CAREERS. This non-profit connects students to jobs in high-demand fields, such as the trades, technology, health, forestry and agriculture.

“Investments in collegiate and dual-credit programming are significant for Calgary Catholic as they further strengthen our collegiate and dual-credit programming. This programming will open opportunities for our students and help them to realize their full potential.”

Shannon Cook, chair, Calgary Catholic School District

“Before Fusion Collegiate, I felt lost and wasn’t really sure what to do after high school. Thanks to its career-focused learning and the opportunities through Fusion and The Educational Partnership Foundation, I’m now working as a first-year apprentice plumber with Mr. Rooter. The hands-on trades training, high school credits, safety certifications, and real-world skills I picked up completely changed my life. I’m excited about where my career is headed and really thankful for the support that helped me get here.”

Francis Mazieta, student, Fusion Collegiate

Budget 2025 is meeting the challenge faced by Alberta communities with continued investments in education and health, lower taxes for families and a focus on the economy.

Quick facts

If passed, Budget 2025 invests $102.4 million over three years to provide sustainable, predictable career education funding, and to increase access to career education for Alberta students.
- This includes $8.4 million over 2026-27 and 2027-28 to raise awareness among students and families of career education programs and pathways available to Alberta students.
Career education in Alberta includes career and technology courses, Career and Life Management (CALM), dual-credit courses, collegiate schools, apprenticeships and off-campus education programming.
Since 2013, more than 95,000 high school students participated in at least one dual–credit course.
In spring 2025, Alberta Education will engage with education partners on best practices to bring more career education opportunities to students.
- Since 2022, education partners and almost 5,000 Albertans have provided their feedback on career education and workforce needs.