Ontario’s education minister is instructing school boards to prioritize student achievement rather than emphasizing political ideologies in their upcoming graduation ceremonies.
Education Minister Paul Calandra sent a letter to educators and school board staff on March 20 to address what he called “two serious and pressing matters” as educators gear up for student graduations this spring.
He stressed a need to keep the ceremonies “strictly student-centred, apolitical, inclusive, and respectful” and said boards should evaluate and amend their graduation protocols as necessary to meet that expectation.
The provincial directive is a reaction to an internal memo recently distributed by the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board to educators organizing graduation ceremonies, Calandra said during question period at Queen’s Park on March 25….