For Immediate Release – October 1, 2008

SURREY, BC – A newly-formed working group of organizations and parents has launched a new initiative – www.TakeBackOurSchools.org – in response to the hijacking of BC’s education system. A recent example is a legal agreement between the BC government and a homosexual activist couple which has resulted in unprecedented changes to the curriculum and slamming the door on parents’ rights to make alternative arrangements for the teaching of sensitive topics in courses where their children are taught.

“Parental rights have been subverted,” says Ted Hewlett, spokesperson for the group responsible for TakeBackOurSchools.org.” Public education should never be determined by this agreement made in secret between the government and private citizens.”

The new coalition is calling on parents across the province to take back the schools by actively participating in their children’s education and by calling on the BC government to recognize the rights of parents as the primary educators of their children.

While we affirm our common desire to ensure an atmosphere in which harassment or abuse directed at any student for any reason is not tolerated, we also affirm that parents must be recognized as the primary educators of their children (cf. Article 16, United Nations “Universal Declaration of Human rights”). Therefore, access to the means of influencing the development of curriculum for all subjects in B.C. public schools should be equally open to all parents. Government should also respect the rights of parents to choose the option of alternative delivery of content in areas they judge to be sensitive. Further, government should recognize the primary role of parents and family in inculcating ethical and moral standards.

This initiative has been spearheaded by a number of groups including Parents for Democracy in Education Society, BC Parents and Teachers for Life, the ECP Centre, REAL Women of BC and ARPA Canada. We feel called to speak out publicly regarding principles basic to the rights of parents and children. These principles are not peculiar to any one faith or to people of faith only, but can be defended by rational argument, and for centuries have been part of the ideals of our society. We call on government to recognize the rights of parents as they pertain to public education in this province.

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