In 1984, The BC Council on the Family was again called to action on education. A concern surfaced about home-school relations when a brief was circulated among board members which expressed the long-standing concerns of an ex-school trustee of 13 years. The brief was sent to the Council because of its declared support for the institution of the family.
Essentially, the brief expressed concern that through the medium of the authorized curriculum and textbooks, B.C.’s children may be inculcated with attitudes that may weaken family stability, either by challenging parental authority or by down-playing the importance of the family in the social structure of the community. Questions were raised as to how curriculum was developed and to what extent parents were informed or involved in curriculum decision-making and school information generally.
Board members (who represent all regions of the province) were canvassed about their reactions to the paper. Because of the seriousness of the concerns and particularly, the shared concern of many board members about the lack of knowledge about what is taught in schools, a committee was struck in the Spring of 1985, the Family and Education Committee, to examine how the family is portrayed in the curriculum and how the family is treated in home-school relationships.
The Terms of Reference for the Committee were:
I. Cognizant of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, Article 26, Section 3, that
Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given their children
The Committee will pursue their task, keeping in mind two fundamental principles which flow from the above declaration:
a) the right to information, and
b) the right to family privacy.
II. The purpose of the study shall be:
a) to inquire into the influence of the public education system upon attitudes towards the family as an institution.
b) to inquire into the influence of the public education system upon attitudes towards parental authority:
i) in the home
ii) in the child’s school concerning the child’s participation in school activities and choices among school courses,
c) to inquire into the attitudes and practices of schools towards parents when they ask questions concerning their children’s’ courses of study, curriculum content, progress, behavior, etc.,
d) to make recommendations concerning the need, and the ways and means, of encouraging parents everywhere to become knowledgeable about their schools and what is being taught,
e) to make recommendations concerning mechanisms for obtaining parental input into curriculum decisions and choices of books and other authorized materials,
f) to undertake an initial study of identified curriculum materials where concerns have been expressed, or as the committee so decides,
g) to consider the multicultural dimension in BC in the study and recommendations,
h) to inquire of the Ministry of Education on any matter that is pertinent to the development and selection of curriculum,
i) to inquire concerning any other matter that the Council deems pertinent in the interests of families and education,
III. The public education system, for the purposes of this study, includes all programs over which the Ministry of Education provides oversight, that is, public, private and independent schools, and correspondence courses.
This study is to concentrate on programs of a mass education nature and excludes counseling situations between teachers and students.
About Tunya Audain
Long time parent rights advocate since 70's.
Long time family advocate.
Independent - no government funding.
Helped found Home Education Movement in Canada in the 80's.
Active in witness about abuses against parent rights, secular and religious.
Live in Vancouver, Canada.
Involved in education reform discussions internationally.
