July 16 - 31, 2018
OPINION
PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY
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Breaking
Point
By Rosette Correa
Posted on July 14, 2018
I’m always amused by people
speaking as if they are experts at anything
at all. As a teacher, we are always
looking for ways to include parents in
the education of their children, as we
are simply in loco parentis, and will
never replace the parents as the child’s
primary educators. The issue about an
ideology called sexual orientation and
gender identity, is one that’s from a small
group of people who wish to impose on
the general population a belief system
that removes the responsibility and
opportunity for a child’s parents, whether
straight or otherwise, to educate their
child in the way they see fit, in whatever
beliefs they hold as a family.
Doug Ford’s PC Party, as a campaign
promise, has begun the withdrawal of
the sex-ed curriculum implemented by
the Ontario Liberals who lost the recent
elections. Forty percent of the voters
have clearly stated their voice – no to
educating our children with an ideology
we do not believe in. Pure and simple.
If a same-sex couple wants to teach
their child their knowledge of what is
sexually acceptable, then so be it, but
a heterosexual couple should also have
that opportunity to do so without the
meddling of the state or a curriculum
based on an ideology forced on the
larger population. Parents, (yes, even
religious and heterosexual ones, gasp!)
have the right to teach their their beliefs,
moral systems and familial principles in
the spirit of love, understanding and
respect for all. This is what should be
the concern of curriculum – to foster
a great respect and love for people
regardless of who they are (and yes,
Everyone’s an expert
this is a principle that Christianity,
Judaism, Islam, Buddhism,
Sikhism and other major religions
follow and share) Implementing a
curriculum that promotes one ideology
but at the same time dismisses the set
beliefs of many others is contrary to
what a real curriculum should be doing.
As well, science
needs to be at
the forefront of
this discussion
because it is
paramount to
the preservation
of humankind.
As
a
teacher
and
parent,
I
agree
with
Barbara
Kay
(see National
Post
article)
and the Ford
government
that the parents
should be the one to decide how they
will teach this sensitive issue to their
children with the help of a scientifically-
based sex-ed program. Let me further
this argument by saying that it should
be based on the understanding about
matters that concern the general
education of the children, which
means giving them information that
is not based on a belief system of any
particular group. This is what private
or independent schools are for, and
the reason why parents do enroll their
children in specific s chools is so that
they can get the specific instruction
they want for their children in terms of
ideology and religious beliefs. This is
protected by the Charter of Rights, just
like any other rights of all Canadians.
The revision of the curriculum enables
the parents to take away the chance of
a few groups of ideologues, including
us teachers who may have our own
agendas, to enforce on the children
information that they may not be ready
for, or information that it is contrary to
their own set of beliefs.
Teachers are not experts on each
individual child, as each child is unique
and will have a different set of knowledge,
principles and needs that have been
formed from the love and nurturing of
their families. The curriculum will not
make a difference to a child if it doesn’t
make sense to him or her because of
how he or she was raised. Unlike Math,
Science, History, which are subjects
based on established algorithms,
sound and tested theories, and factual
evidences, sex-ed in the way it is
currently being implemented is partly
not objective, especially on the issue
of gender identity, a subject that a third
grader will never understand because
their only concern at this point in their
lives is play, not their sexual identity.
SOGI 123 in BC has the same problems
as it was haphazardly implemented and
done without consultation of parents.
We need to put back the objectiveness
of the sex-ed curriculum by simply
teaching the nature of the human body.
Feelings and emotions, although they
can be scientifically analyzed through
sound psychology, cannot be used
as a basis for creating a curriculum
that is applicable to all. Ask Canadian
psychologist Jordan Peterson and
social critic Camille Paglia, who calls
any disruption on a child’s natural
development as a boy or a girl through
ideology and surgical means, “a crime
against humanity”. Decisions such as
these need to take its natural course, and
are subjective, and should, therefore,
remain the prerogative of the child’s
parent, caregiver, or guardian. The
child also needs an objective therapist
if the child needs one to be able to
understand what he or she is going
through, not hormone blockers, pills or
therapy that would further confuse the
child.
None of our comments pretending
that we care for all these children
individually should matter, as the only
thing that does matter is that a child
is loved and should go through his or
her stages of development soundly
and peacefully, without the ideological,
sociological and political meddling of
some of us who think we are experts
that can make humankind perfect.
Barbara Kay’s article in the
National Post:
Barbara Kay: Suggestions for the
new Ontario sex-ed curriculum
Madison & Lakeshore Care Workers: No More Job Layoffs!
By E. Maestro
The Madison and Lakeshore care
home workers won! When workers
are victorious and keep their jobs
and their union, it is a good reason to
celebrate and a good reason to keep
on organizing to win bigger gains.
The termination slips effective
August 7 for Lakeshore and Sept 11 for
Madison that were issued to 150 care
home workers at these two centres
did not happen. All the workers --
care aides, licensed practical nurses,
activity workers, housekeepers and
food service workers, the majority
of whom are women, and from the
Philippines – are keeping their jobs!
And the 200 seniors in these two
care homes are going to have the
continuity of care provided by these
care workers.
The workers, their families
and some residents returned to
Coquitlam’s Como Lake Park July
and families of residents
gathered last July 8 to
rally and demand their
jobs and a better health
care for seniors. At the
victory gathering at the
park, they were joined by
Health Minister Adrian Dix,
Jim Sinclair of the Fraser
Health Authority and
MLAs Selina Robinson
and Rick Glumac.
In a PNT article last
week on this issue, it was
reported that the workers Group of care aides and seniors workers who
Josephine Bereber, HEU member, who had recently joined are fighting the layoffs at rally on July 8,
speaking to media at rally on July the Hospital Employees 2018
8, 2018.
the business and ending all contracts,
Union (HEU) in May were
threatened with job terminations hence all the workers would be losing
20 to celebrate their victory. It was in
soon after Carmen del Maestro, the their jobs as well. Worse, any new
this same park that the care workers,
contractor who privately owned the contract did not guarantee that the
union supporters from the HEU and
Madison and Lakeshore Care Centres workers would stay on their jobs in the
the BCFED, community groups,
announced that she was retiring from
Cont on PAGE 11
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