TDSB Wins 2005 PETA Proggy Award
"The Toronto District School Board has enacted a "dissection choice" policy demonstrating its understanding that kids don't want to kill animals in order to learn about life. In September, the Board approved a recommendation requiring all students to be notified of their right to choose alternatives to dissection and requiring the district to provide an alternative if one is requested. This is great news for the animal kingdom and for kids alike, because every year, millions of animals—frogs, cats, mice, dogs, and others—are violently killed and shipped off to schools where young people are given scalpels and told to slice up the animals' bodies as part of their biology, anatomy, and other courses. Now, kids in Toronto will be able to demonstrate their knowledge of biology through methods that don't kill animals. " Update: Friday, September 16, 2005 Dear Student Choice on Animal Dissection advocates, The passion and support you have demonstrated this year to ensure that Toronto District School Board (TDSB) students know their rights regarding dissection has finally arrived at victory! You made this happen! I am very happy with the communications plan that was finally passed by board. Along with the plan (below), starting next year, students rights regarding opting out of dissecting animals will be printed in each student guide. Thank you for standing up for our students and their right to make their own ethical decisions. I will continue working towards entrenching student rights at the TDSB. Thank you again for your very wonderful support! Your friend and trustee, Josh TORONTO DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD COMMUNICATION PLAN FOR ALTERNATIVES TO ANIMAL DISSECTION DECISION SOUGHT: The Board is being asked to approve a recommendation ensuring that all secondary schools have current dissection software available and provide the links to current web sites regarding alternatives to dissection to students. 1) for all Grade 11 biology teachers: a written memorandum and meetings with Science curriculum leaders advising that alternatives to hands-on dissection, including computer or web simulations, must be communicated to each student in their course outline; 2) for all secondary principals: a Direct Line message will be published relaying the above message to them for information and to ensure they confirm that the course outlines have the written memorandum for students; and 3) for all secondary principals: a confirmation will be requested that current dissection software is available as well as links to current web sites regarding alternatives to dissection.
Update: Friday, May 27, 2005 The Student Rights on Animal Dissection motion has now been sent to staff to give the Board a report on whether or not to support this motion. It has neither passed or lost but has been caught in a political circle. Updates will be posted soon on this site. Update: Thursday, April 14, 2005 The Toronto District School Board abandons the democratic process, rejects public participation Last night at the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), there was a serious affront to our democratic system of governance. Although we enjoyed a strong victory two weeks ago with the passing of the Student Choice Policy on Animal Dissection through the TDSB’s Programs and School Services Committee (PSSC), Board decided last night to defer this motion, and almost all other motions previously passed by the PSSC, back to the PSSC. The public, those who prepared and presented deputations at committee and those who waited through debate and discussion at both the PSSC and the nine-hour Board meeting, were not even a considered by this Board. The decision was made against the advice of staff, based on misinformation and sadly upheld by the Chair, Sheila Ward. The motion to defer was moved by Trustee Patrick Rutledge, the Chair of the PSSC. Trustee Rutledge alleged that there were not enough members of the committee present at its meeting to make the committee’s recommendations legitimate. However, staff confirmed that there was indeed quorum at the PSSC meeting and that the recommendations should stand. Board, perhaps not wishing to deal with some of the more contentious motions recommended by the PSSC, balked at voting on them and sent them back into “the process”. I contend that Board last night abandoned process and slapped both the public and our staff in the face. This means all of the PSSC motions including those on a Revised Parent Concern Protocol, Suspensions of Pupils Under the Age of Eight Years and Home Instruction for Kindergarten Students, along with the Student Choice motion, will now go back to committee on May 4th and returning to Board on May 18th. The only motion that was not referred back to committee, was a motion on Terry Fox Day that was cherry-picked by the Chair. The Motion for a Student Choice Policy on Animal Dissection While Ministry of Education guidelines currently allow students to opt out of dissection and use computer simulation, there is nothing that ensures the right of students to be informed of this choice. This motion takes these guidelines a critical step further by ensuring that students are fully aware of their rights and options. I’ve heard dozens of stories of how the Ministry guidelines did not prevent students from having experiences such as not having been told their options, having their grades have suffer if they did choose to opt out, and other difficult challenges that this motion deals with. Some students are teased and bullied about their choice based on their personal ethics. As well, formalizing the current guidelines as a board policy will be meaningful to many students. If
approved by the board, As well, please remind them that we expect our representatives to vote on the merits of a motion, if it’s good for students and the community-support it, and to not make decisions based on partisan politics, what colleagues they like or dislike or to only vote with trustees who have voted for their own motions in the past. As
well, let the media and Minister of Education Gerard
Kennedy know that we expect more! Have your voice heard! If
you would like to make a deputation to the TDSB’s Programs and School
Services Committee on May 4th at 6:30pm,
please call David Tomczak at
416 397-3288. If selected, you will be able to tell the trustees exactly how
you feel about this motion and their behaviour. You
can also write a written deputation to all the trustees (if you’ve
already written one, please resend and state that you want to be heard
again) to:All Toronto District School Board Trustees c/o David Tomczak
: As well, you can send it directly to all the trustees: josh@joshmatlow.ca, Irene.Atkinson@tdsb.on.ca, Chris.Bolton@tdsb.on.ca, John.Campbell@tdsb.on.ca, Sheila.Cary-Meagher@tdsb.on.ca, Michael.Coteau@tdsb.on.ca, Gary.Crawford@tdsb.on.ca, Gerri.Gershon@tdsb.on.ca, Scott.Harrison@tdsb.on.ca, Elizabeth.Hill@tdsb.on.ca, Sheine.Mankovsky@tdsb.on.ca, Stan.Nemiroff@tdsb.on.ca, Noah.Ng@tdsb.on.ca, Stephnie.Payne@tdsb.on.ca, Maria.Rodrigues@tdsb.on.ca, Mari.Rutka@tdsb.on.ca, David.Shory@tdsb.on.ca, Rick.Telfer@tdsb.on.ca, bruce.davis@tdsb.on.ca, sheila.ward@tdsb.on.ca, howard.goodman@tdsb.on.ca, patrick.rutledge@tdsb.on.ca Send a letter to the editor of our local newspapers and write to the.. Minister of Education, Gerard Kennedy, who reportedly scoffed at the need for a TDSB student choice policy and was quoted in the Toronto Star saying "This is not one of the issues that should be taking the time of politicians":
The Honourable Gerard Kennedy, Please send me a copy of your letter(s) for my records (josh@joshmatlow.ca) Thanks to all of you who have written letters already. Thank you to all of the students, parents and teachers from Toronto, across Canada and the U.S. for lending your support.
Update: Thursday, March 31, 2005 We won the day yesterday with a strong victory at the Toronto District School Board’s Programs and School Services Committee. The next step is passing this motion through the full board and we need your support to make this happen! While Ministry of Education guidelines currently allow students to opt out of dissection and use computer simulation, there is nothing that ensures the right of students to be informed of this choice. This motion takes these guidelines a critical step further by ensuring that students are fully aware of their rights and options. I’ve heard dozens of stories of how the Ministry guidelines did not prevent students from having experiences such as not having been told their options, having their grades have suffer if they did choose to opt out, and other difficult challenges that this motion deals with. As well, formalizing the current guidelines as a board policy will be meaningful to many students. If approved by the board, Trustee Sheine Mankovsky (sheine.mankovsky@tdsb.on.ca) Regardless of where you live, please send letters in support of the Student Choice Policy to: All Toronto District School Board Trustees c/o David Tomczak : and the.. Minister of Education, Gerard Kennedy, who reportedly scoffed at the need for a TDSB student choice policy and was quoted in the Toronto Star saying "This is not one of the issues that should be taking the time of politicians": The Honourable Gerard Kennedy, Please send me a copy of your letter(s) for my records (josh@joshmatlow.ca) Thanks to all of you who have written letters already. Thank you to all of the students, parents and teachers from Toronto, across Canada and the U.S. for lending your support. For more information about the Student Choice Policy, please visit:
Dear friends, On March 30th, my motion on a Student Choice Policy on animal dissection will go to the Toronto District School Board's (TDSB) Program and School Services Committee. Once this committee decides on it's recommendations, the motion should then go to the full board on April 13th. Please contact David Tomczak at david.tomczak@tdsb.on.ca if you would like to request an opportunity to make a deputation at this committee. If you are unavailable to make it to the committee meeting, please write a written deputation to Mr. Tomczak and ask that it be distributed to all Trustees. Please cc josh@joshmatlow.ca for my records. Please spread the word that you believe that students need a policy now that ensures their right to opt out of dissecting animals. Please see the motion below. Sincerely, Josh
Student Choice Policy on animal dissection Whereas the Toronto District School Board does not yet have a formal policy giving students the right to choose an alternative to animal dissection and options are currently up to the discretion of the school or teacher. Whereas Stay Safe, a health and safety reference for secondary school science is the product of a partnership involving the Science Teachers’ Association of Ontario (STAO), the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) and the following Boards of Education: District School Board of Niagara, Greater Essex County District School Board, Halton District School Board, Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board, Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board, Toronto Catholic District School Board, Toronto District School Board, Upper Canada District School Board, Waterloo Region District School Board, York Catholic District School Board and states that: Teachers should be aware that some students may dislike handling parts of animals, and others may object on cultural, religious or ethical grounds. No pressure should ever be exerted on students to take part in these activities. Models of skeletons or body organs can sometimes provide a useful alternative to using animal parts. Videos and interactive CD’s can also be used. Whereas computer programs, three-dimensional models, videos and anatomical charts can be used multiple times which is much more cost-effective than animal specimens for dissection which can only be used once. Alternatives allow students to learn at their own pace through trial and error, giving them the ability to repeat procedures ;and Whereas student's rights are protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982), s. 2, which states that everyone has "freedom of conscience and religion" and "freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression". Students do not have to violate their ethical principles and/or religious beliefs in order to receive a good quality education. Whereas a student choice policy would give students an opportunity to discuss their feelings openly and would guarantee their right not to compromise their values Whereas if a student is forced to do an activity that they are ethically, culturally, religiously or environmentally opposed to, they may not learn anything at all. Therefore be it resolved that: (a) Alternatives to dissection must be available in all science classes for students who choose not to dissect animals (b) The responsibility for creating an alternative lies with the school, not the student (c) Requiring the student to watch others dissect an animal is not an alternative; the student must be allowed to leave the room while the dissection takes place (d) Students will not be penalized or ostracized in any way for choosing the alternative exercise (e) All students must be informed in writing and through a verbal announcement that they have the right to withdraw from dissection activities. Information about this option should be provided at the beginning of each semester during which dissection is scheduled and just prior to the dissection. (f) An alternative activity should be provided to meet the same curriculum objective. The alternative must offer an equal learning experience that requires a comparable amount of time and effort and can be evaluated and graded fairly.
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