A student and his dad are outraged over a pride flag being displayed in a classroom at Central Memorial High School in CalgaryThe Western Standard received a tip from the pair, reporting on the flag in light of a part of the Act to Remove Politics and Ideology from Classrooms and Amend the Education Act being implemented at the beginning of September.The legislation restricts teachers from discussing political and ideological issues with students.Additionally, the student's parent says their son claims that during exams, "there's a section for gender identification, and instead of male / female there are nine different categories or so.".Part of the Alberta government's legislation, which imposes flag restrictions on flags other than Canadian and Alberta flags in schools, including pride flags and other nationalities' flags, has been delayed for implementation."Alberta decided to get politics and ideology out of classrooms and restrict flags for a good reason," said the dad."Schools are supposed to teach kids math, science, reading and basic skills, not shove sexual orientation and gender ideology into their faces every day," they added."These topics belong at home with parents, not forced on kids in public schools where they have no choice."."All this so called inclusion has turned into nonstop social pressure and overreach. It turns classrooms into platforms for one side's views and leaves families who don't agree out in the cold."The dad added it was more than just a display but a symbol."That's not neutral and it's not education. Kids should be able to go to school without getting pulled into adult political fights or made to feel like questioning it is wrong," he said."Keep the classrooms about learning. Keep the activism and the flags out."The 16-year-old student added his own thoughts on the matter, saying he believes this is not what school should be about.."School is supposed to be about classes, not starting conversations about sexual orientation or politics. It feels unnecessary and forced," he said.He also added the flag was unnecessary."I don’t need a flag to tell me how to treat people. Most of us already know how to be respectful without constant reminders or symbols pushed in our faces.""It just creates talk and tension that doesn’t need to happen during the school day. Keep that stuff out of classrooms so we can focus on actual schoolwork," the student concluded.The Western Standard reached out to the Calgary Board of Education (CBE), but it did not respond by the time of publication.
