The nation's largest teachers unions took a firm stance against a proposed New Democrat bill aimed at banning corporal punishment of unruly children. Heidi Yetman, president of the Canadian Teachers’ Federation and a mother of two sons, expressed concerns that the bill would endanger teachers by potentially subjecting them to assault charges.“This is our fear,” Yetman conveyed to the Commons justice committee. “The risk of unintended consequences that could make classrooms more unsafe is too great."“Teachers need to be able to physically intervene in certain classroom situations. This is the reality.”Section 43 of the Criminal Code currently permits parents and schoolteachers to use force for correction towards a pupil or child, provided it remains reasonable under the circumstances. New Democrat Bill C-273 An Act To Amend The Criminal Code seeks to repeal this provision, which dates back to 1892, deeming it archaic.“I taught for 23 years,” Yetman said. “I remember my first job, I was in a Grade Seven class. I was brand new. When you are a new teacher you do your best. A fight broke out in my class. Luckily they were smaller than me. They were in Grade Seven, they were 12 years old.”“It was quite the fight because there was blood drawn. I pulled those two children apart and one I took with me to the principal’s office. According to the Criminal Code that could be assault. Of course I did my duty because I wanted to protect the kids.”Sébastien Joly, president of the Québec Association of Teachers, echoed Yetman's concerns, emphasizing that repealing Section 43 “would change the game” and leave educators vulnerable to unwarranted criminal charges when managing children's behavior.Conservative MP Marilyn Gladu raised the point that the Supreme Court had upheld Section 43 as lawful in 2004. “It is already illegal to abuse a child or do violence to a child,” Gladu emphasized.
The nation's largest teachers unions took a firm stance against a proposed New Democrat bill aimed at banning corporal punishment of unruly children. Heidi Yetman, president of the Canadian Teachers’ Federation and a mother of two sons, expressed concerns that the bill would endanger teachers by potentially subjecting them to assault charges.“This is our fear,” Yetman conveyed to the Commons justice committee. “The risk of unintended consequences that could make classrooms more unsafe is too great."“Teachers need to be able to physically intervene in certain classroom situations. This is the reality.”Section 43 of the Criminal Code currently permits parents and schoolteachers to use force for correction towards a pupil or child, provided it remains reasonable under the circumstances. New Democrat Bill C-273 An Act To Amend The Criminal Code seeks to repeal this provision, which dates back to 1892, deeming it archaic.“I taught for 23 years,” Yetman said. “I remember my first job, I was in a Grade Seven class. I was brand new. When you are a new teacher you do your best. A fight broke out in my class. Luckily they were smaller than me. They were in Grade Seven, they were 12 years old.”“It was quite the fight because there was blood drawn. I pulled those two children apart and one I took with me to the principal’s office. According to the Criminal Code that could be assault. Of course I did my duty because I wanted to protect the kids.”Sébastien Joly, president of the Québec Association of Teachers, echoed Yetman's concerns, emphasizing that repealing Section 43 “would change the game” and leave educators vulnerable to unwarranted criminal charges when managing children's behavior.Conservative MP Marilyn Gladu raised the point that the Supreme Court had upheld Section 43 as lawful in 2004. “It is already illegal to abuse a child or do violence to a child,” Gladu emphasized.
