Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce has written to the Peel District School Board (PDSB) and demanded it stop banning books. .“Ontario is committed to ensuring that the addition of new books better reflects the rich diversity of our communities,” said Lecce in a Wednesday statement obtained by the Toronto Sun. .“It is offensive, illogical and counterintuitive to remove books from years past that educate students on Canada’s history, antisemitism or celebrated literary classics.” .Some of the books banned from PDSB libraries were the Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, the Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and the Harry Potter series. .The PDSB removed these books because it wanted to revamp its library system. .It appears some books had been removed because they were old and out of date. Some were removed because of its interpretation of equity and inclusion guidelines and some were discarded for being more than 15 years old. .It had targeted books published before 2008. .The issue revolves around the misinterpretation of a directive sent to it by Lecce on reviewing policies at it. It was facing allegations of systemic discrimination and anti-black racism related to how it was run and how students were taught. .A review commissioned by the Ontario government in 2020 prompted Lecce to issue a directive which told it to examine itself top to bottom. .“The Board shall, through its Equity Office, established pursuant to Direction 10, undertake a comprehensive diversity audit of schools, which shall include naming, mascots, libraries, and classrooms,” he said. .When teaching English, history and social sciences, he said it has to use materials “that are inclusive and culturally responsive, relevant and reflective of students.” He did not tell it to start purging school libraries through an equity lens. .Some students, parents, and trustees have complained about what has happened, and the PDSB is looking into the practice. Thousands of books have since been taken off of the shelves and thrown in landfills. .The Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) asked teachers to no longer have students read And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie because of antisemitic references in 2022. .READ MORE: Ontario school board removes Agatha Christie book over antisemitism.“The text was first published around 1939 and is no longer relevant or engaging to students,” said a UCDSB spokesperson. .“The Upper Canada District School Board regularly reviews its curriculum offerings and course materials to ensure we are offering fresh, engaging, timely, and relatable materials to students.”.This is what the Western Standard is up againstThe Trudeau government is funding lies and propaganda by directly subsidizing the mainstream media. They do this to entrench the powerful Eastern, woke and corrupt interests that dominate the political, social and economic institutions in Canada. Federal authorities are constantly trying to censor us and stop us from publishing the stories that they don’t want you to read. Ottawa may weaponize our taxes and police against us, but we’ve got a powerful ally on our side.You. Free men, and free women. We need you to stand with us and become a member of the Western Standard. Here’s what you will get for your membership:Unlimited access to all articles from the Western Standard, Alberta Report, West Coast Standard, and Saskatchewan Standard, with no paywall. Our daily newsletter delivered to your inbox. .Access to exclusive Member-only WS events.Keep the West’s leading independent media voice strong and free.If you can, please support us with a monthly or annual membership. It takes just a moment to set up, and you will be making a big impact on keeping one the last independent media outlets in Canada free from Ottawa’s corrupting influence.
Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce has written to the Peel District School Board (PDSB) and demanded it stop banning books. .“Ontario is committed to ensuring that the addition of new books better reflects the rich diversity of our communities,” said Lecce in a Wednesday statement obtained by the Toronto Sun. .“It is offensive, illogical and counterintuitive to remove books from years past that educate students on Canada’s history, antisemitism or celebrated literary classics.” .Some of the books banned from PDSB libraries were the Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, the Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and the Harry Potter series. .The PDSB removed these books because it wanted to revamp its library system. .It appears some books had been removed because they were old and out of date. Some were removed because of its interpretation of equity and inclusion guidelines and some were discarded for being more than 15 years old. .It had targeted books published before 2008. .The issue revolves around the misinterpretation of a directive sent to it by Lecce on reviewing policies at it. It was facing allegations of systemic discrimination and anti-black racism related to how it was run and how students were taught. .A review commissioned by the Ontario government in 2020 prompted Lecce to issue a directive which told it to examine itself top to bottom. .“The Board shall, through its Equity Office, established pursuant to Direction 10, undertake a comprehensive diversity audit of schools, which shall include naming, mascots, libraries, and classrooms,” he said. .When teaching English, history and social sciences, he said it has to use materials “that are inclusive and culturally responsive, relevant and reflective of students.” He did not tell it to start purging school libraries through an equity lens. .Some students, parents, and trustees have complained about what has happened, and the PDSB is looking into the practice. Thousands of books have since been taken off of the shelves and thrown in landfills. .The Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) asked teachers to no longer have students read And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie because of antisemitic references in 2022. .READ MORE: Ontario school board removes Agatha Christie book over antisemitism.“The text was first published around 1939 and is no longer relevant or engaging to students,” said a UCDSB spokesperson. .“The Upper Canada District School Board regularly reviews its curriculum offerings and course materials to ensure we are offering fresh, engaging, timely, and relatable materials to students.”.This is what the Western Standard is up againstThe Trudeau government is funding lies and propaganda by directly subsidizing the mainstream media. They do this to entrench the powerful Eastern, woke and corrupt interests that dominate the political, social and economic institutions in Canada. Federal authorities are constantly trying to censor us and stop us from publishing the stories that they don’t want you to read. Ottawa may weaponize our taxes and police against us, but we’ve got a powerful ally on our side.You. Free men, and free women. We need you to stand with us and become a member of the Western Standard. Here’s what you will get for your membership:Unlimited access to all articles from the Western Standard, Alberta Report, West Coast Standard, and Saskatchewan Standard, with no paywall. Our daily newsletter delivered to your inbox. .Access to exclusive Member-only WS events.Keep the West’s leading independent media voice strong and free.If you can, please support us with a monthly or annual membership. It takes just a moment to set up, and you will be making a big impact on keeping one the last independent media outlets in Canada free from Ottawa’s corrupting influence.
