DECEMBER 1996 BOX 39068, Point Grey RPO, Vancouver, BC V6R 4P1 Tel: (604) 463-1611 Fax : (604) 463-1601
ZERO TOLERANZ
(by Doris Darvasi)
The offices of the Status of Women in Vancouver advertised for women to attend a meeting at
their premises on November l9, l996, to help organize for the next year's International Women's
Day event. The invitation specifically mentioned that "all women" were welcome.
Two of our members, Margaret and Gail*(names have been changed), arrived around 7:30 p.m. that day. There were approximately 30 women crowded into a back room which was closed off with glass windows. A woman attending the meeting asked Margaret and Gail who they were and which groups they represented. Margaret and Gail were identified as being "anti-choice" representatives and were asked to leave. Our members refused to leave and stayed in the room just outside the meeting room where they were still able to hear and see what was going on. The feminists in the meeting room boarded up the windows, closed the door and stationed a woman at the door as a guard.
Margaret, who had a camera with her, decided to take some pictures of the boarded up windows and the woman guard at the door. When the feminists noticed the camera, she was told to surrender it. She refused.
At approximately 8:30 p.m. some of the feminists were leaving. Margaret and Gail remained in the hallway, looking at the bulletin board and taking a last picture. At that point four to five feminists lunged at Margaret who had the camera, throwing her to the ground on top of her camera, pulling, pushing and grabbing. One had her arm around Margaret's neck, choking her. Because of the fall, Margaret dropped her wallet and cell phone, both of which were picked up by one of the feminists who had attacked Margaret. The feminists threatened that the items would only be returned if Margaret surrendered her camera. When Margaret's friend tried to come to her aid, she was pushed, shoved, and punched. Gail had a swollen face and needed medical attention while Margaret was severely bruised and had a broken camera. A young man arrived at the scene called the police, but before the police arrived, the wallet and phone were returned. Charges are pending and we will watch for the development of this case.
It is outrageous that something like this should happen at a meeting sponsored by the offices of the Vancouver Status of Women, considering their claim that one of their top priorities is the fight against violence against women. In its l996 application for funding to the City of Vancouver, the Status of Women identified "women living with violence" as one of its top priorities. The Vancouver Status of Women has ten paid employees and is almost totally funded by federal, provincial, and municipal governments. Since l984, it has received grants totaling $917,000.00 from the federal government; $42,000.00 annually from the B. C. government and approximately $31,000.00 from the City of Vancouver.
The term "zero tolerance" seems to mean no tolerance for those people that have a different opinion to the one held by the feminists who seem willing to condone resorting to violence to further their cause and silence those who are in opposition to some of their agenda. The feminists will never be credible in their fight against violence against women as long as such outrageous behavior as the one exhibited at the offices of the Vancouver Status of Women will continue. All funding, from every level of government, to the offices of the Status of Women should immediately be stopped. There should never be any tax money used to promote the agenda of special interest groups that resort to and condone such violence. National press releases have been sent out to inform the public about the incident.
Outcome Based Education (OBE)
from Taxpayers for Quality Education
Outcome based education has many definitions and names: performance-based education,
standard-based education, mastery learning, etc. The terms can vary, sometimes depending
on how the program is received. As one name falls into disrepute, another will take its place.
OBE ensures that a student "comes out" having met certain prescribed goals. Obviously,
schools have always taught goals or outcomes, but mandating non-academic goals is new.
OBE fashions a new child with politically correct values and attitudes.
OBE is based on the B.F. Skinner premise that all can learn, but not on the same day; and Benjamin Bloom's taxonomy theories which added the "affective" domain -- feelings, beliefs and attitudes. Parents believe schools are teaching their children what they cannot teach -- how to read, write and compute. What many parents do not realize is that effective education can seriously undermine what they have taught their children -- personal values and beliefs.
Does OBE affect my child's academic skills? The theme of OBE, "all students shall succeed," pressures teachers to inflate grades and slash standards, and vague report cards keep parents guessing. OBE is also an intellectual level. It holds back bright children, using them as peer mutilators in co-operative learning. Skilled readers and thinkers would be a threat because they are empowered to make independent, discerning choices. We are told our aims are world class education, but these days it is important to have definitions for education terms. World class in this age of egalitarianism isn't necessarily first class. Some critics have re-named the three R's as Restructure, Reform and Recycle. Others say the three R's have deteriorated in three D's: Deliberately Dumbed Down!
Does the Career and Personal Planning Curriculum have anything to do with OBE? It certainly does. CAPP is a curriculum completely devoid of academic content, with "outcomes" written all over it.
The career component (Gr.8-12) emphasises vocational education. There is nothing wrong with career education if it does not deprive our children of academic skills to get the jobs they are suited for. But there is a North American emphasis on placing our children, or "human capital", into blue-collar jobs as workers -- for the productiveness of the state. It is noteworthy that in BC, Education and Labour are now one ministry and Health is soon to join them. Personal Planning (PP) K-12 is psychological, physical and sociological education. The health/sex education introduces our children to medically dangerous practices and endorses them. PP encourages risky emotional decisions, invades personal privacy, and drives wedges in family relationships by asking students probing questions about their home life. For example, two questions in a CAPP assignment asked whether the parents (a) ever took a drink, and (b) every got angry. A normally well-adjusted student reflected on the two concepts, which his parents occasionally engaged in, put them together and wrongly conclude he was in an abusive home. Fortunately, his withdrawal caught his mother's attention; he needed immediate help.
Because CAPP is supposed to be compulsory for all students it causes conflicts in scheduling and actually prevents some students from taking courses in their area of career interest. Where there has been pressure from parents, there appears to be some flexibility.
Will CAPP jeopardize the values I have taught my child at home? Most definitely. It is intended to reshape your child into a compliant, loyal global citizen -- not a Canadian citizen. (The BCTF drives this through the BC Global Education Project.) The ideal global citizen will be comfortable in a controlled society and will choose co-operation over family. Therefore, firm personal beliefs will interfere. In the CAPP program, your child is required to identify his/her "personal attributes", and throughout his/her school years the teachers are to keep track of how the "attributes" change. Educators are developing assessment strategies for CAPP that will tell them whether your child's behaviour/attitudes are falling in line with the outcomes, and just how co-operative he/she is.
Will it be possible for my child to retain his values anyway? It will be very difficult. This is shown in the "Critique of Personal Planning Curriculum" Grades K to 7" and Critique of Career and Personal Planning Curriculum: Grades 8 to 12". (Both available through Parents for Healthy Children, 1858 Admirals Road, Victoria, BC V9A 2R5, phone (250) 360-2410.) Any student who has not completed a district approved educational program is considered a drop-out or "student at risk", and is a candidate for remediation through Special Education. This would include a student who does not meet the requirements of the CAPP program. The assessments, or grading component of CAPP, are designed to reveal who these students are. Assessment emphasis is on individual performance; no one will escape. Each student will have an Individual Education Plan (IEP), be tracked by Ministry databanks through their Personal Education Number (PEN), and if necessary, remedied, or re-taught until they have the correct attitudes. Therein lies the secret to the idea that all students can learn. They won't all master the material at the same time -- they don't need to. They can be recycled until they do. In some areas of the U.S. the graduation diploma is now called a Certificate of Initial Mastery. Students without it risk being denied employment.
But doesn't this violate our rights as Canadian citizens? According to the Canadian
Charter of Rights, everyone has the following fundamental freedoms: freedom of conscience
and religion; freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression; freedom of peaceful assembly;
and freedom of association. Certainly our students' rights are violated if they must conform to
certain beliefs. Of further concern, the BC "Infant's Act" gives our children the right to make
health decisions independent of parents. How far will CAPP go with its health education?
Can I pull my child from CAPP, teach him at home and avoid the assessments? According to the BC Curriculum office, CAPP is compulsory for all ages, K-12. Parents may not pull their child from the entire program, only from "sensitive' parts such as sex education. Upon such a request, the district or school must offer an alternative that meets CAPP criteria for parents to teach at home. The child must then be assessed at the local school and must meet the learning outcomes.
Can our school board help? Possibly, but site-based management and amalgamation of school districts will gradually phase out school boards, and parents will lose their representation in education. However, parents will be especially targeted by the schools in an effort to convince them they are "partners in education". What is the definition of "partner"? Do you want to be a partner, or a parent?
What can I do? The CAPP curriculum must be fought on two fronts: it must not be compulsory and it must not have assessments. All taxpayers should lobby Education/Labour Minister Moe Sihota, their school district, MLA and also write letters to local papers. You may be told, "You are the only one with a problem," or that you are misinformed -- by those who are uninformed, or by those who don't want you to know what they're up to. Remember, too, most educators do not realize what they are part of, and many are doing what they believe is best for the students.
Please let Moe Sihota know that you are concerned about invasion of privacy and the material
that is being taught in CAPP. Write to:
Hon. Moe Sihota
Minister of Education
Rm. 137, Parliament Bldg
Victoria, BC V8V 1X4
FAX: 250-387-3200
Make sure you send copies to:
~ Liberal Education Critic April Sanders
Rm. 201 at the above address,
her fax number is 250-387-2749
~ Parents for Healthy Children
Box 54
Bowser, BC V0R 1G0
Fax: 250-478-6198
Taxpayers for Quality Education may be reached at:
#103 -- 13630-72nd Avenue, Suite #113, Surrey, BC V3W 2P3.
For further information, check the Internet under Outcome-Based Education
Upcoming Events
BC Pro-Life Convention February 21st& 22nd 1997 in Chilliwack. Speakers include: Michael Clarke, Real to Real Ministry Ted Gerk, Media Relations Director Pro-Life Society of BC and Internet expert. Sylvia Van Kempen and Marilyn Toews, Chariots Communications
MAKE A DATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Provincial Conference scheduled to be held in Kelowna May 30 and 31st 1997. More details to come in next newsletter.
The Prime Ministers
e-mail address:
pm@pm.gc.ca
Dr. Stephen Genuis coming to Victoria
Parents for Healthy Children (PHC) has invited Dr. Genuis to speak in Victoria sometime in April of 1997. Dr. Stephen Genuis is an obstetrician-gynaecologist who is also a member of Focus on the Family (Canada)'s Physicians' Resource Council. He specializes in medical research on sexually transmitted diseases, AIDS and adolescent sexuality. He is a noted writer, and a very effective speaker on these (and related) topics. He speaks in a direct, forthright manner, bases his presentation on solid scientific research and forces his audience to question current practices and future directions, so much so that he is increasingly coming under attack from those groups which support the recent trends in education and health policies. These sessions by Dr. Genuis have the potential of being very effective in influencing policy makers.
PHC is looking for sponsors, donations and volunteers to help with this event. Even if you cannot help in these ways, please attend this excellent presentation, advertise it to your friends, and invite your school trustees, PAC members, MLA's, and your children's teachers to hear Dr. Genuis. If you are available to help in any way with this meeting, please call Moira Jones at 360-2410. PHC can be reached on the web
<"http://www.seaside.net/homepage/glock/phc.htm">HERE
Pro-Abortion Agenda Exposed
-by Christine Hendrix
In 1995 the "Access to Abortion Services Act" was passed by the British Columbia Legislature because as abortion clinic staff had complained that the police were not enforcing all the sections of the injunction that had been put in place on Jan 21, 1989. Until the injunction was passed, anyone blocking the entrance to the building had been arrested and a few for simply speaking to women and offering literature.
On Oct. 25 another lady and I were threatened with arrest for walking and quietly praying in an access zone if they did not leave. On Nov. 1st the police were called again for the same thing. The officer said he was not going to arrest them today -- that he was simply writing up a report. They will be making a decision whether praying is to be allowed in these zones. If it is not, how do they plan to police this law?
So now the veil has been lifted -- the pro-abortion concern is not for the women, as they would have absolutely no way of knowing who we are or even that we are opposed to abortion, it is simply that they themselves don't want to have to see anyone who they know opposes what they do.
DID YOU
REMEMBER
TO RENEW
YOUR MEMBERSHIP???
WE DEPEND ON
YOU!!
THANK YOU
Victoria Chapter News
A group of REAL Women have been meeting in Victoria on the first Monday of the month. The group has not formed a chapter as of yet, and refers to itself as a "study group". Issues have been discussed, letters have been written, and interested newcomers have taken out REAL Women memberships. Anyone interested may call 380-2287 for further information.
Abbotsford Chapter News
The new chapter in Abbotsford got off to an encouraging start with its first membership meeting
on October 8. At least thirty people joined us for the evening, many of them new to R.E.A.L.
Women, and Doris Darvasi served as our guest speaker."
Kelowna Chapter News
We are happy to welcome the new president of the Kelowna Chapter, Rosemary Lindsay.
Congratulations !!
WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!!!!!!!
We would like to update our membership list and to do this we need your help. We need willing and able members to do phoning of local members in their home areas. This will help us cut down on long distance calling and updating our membership quickly and efficiently. Please contact 597-0448 to receive your area members and to start the phoning.
World Congress of Families
REAL Women of BC has been invited to have a delegate (or a few of them) attend the "World Congress of Families" to convene in Prague, the Czech Republic, from March 19-22, 1997. Sessions will include the following topics: marriage, childbearing and fertility, the moral and practical education of children, responsible sexuality, physical and psychological health, family and economy and the extended family. Specific subjects will be addressed by leaders in academia, politics, social activism, and popular culture. Comparisons of national situations will highlight the common sources of family decay, and point towards real solution. This is not going to be a hair-raising experience like Beijing was, nor be filled with the same stresses as Istanbul's Habitat II. If you would NEVER have gone to those two conferences, then this may be the one for you.
Expenses, as always, will be the sole responsibility of the delegate(s). The cost of the conference itself is only $85.00 US including lunches. For more information, contact REAL Women of BC at (604) 463-1611 or fax (604) 463-1601.
Trinity Western University Denied The Right To Certify Teachers
Trinity's community standards which require students as well as staff to refrain from certain
activities, including premarital intercourse and homosexual sex, has become the reason why
TWU was denied the right to certify teachers by the BC College of Teachers (BCCT). This
decision reversed an earlier recommendation made by a program approval team that visited the
campus in March. A kindergarten to Grade 7 program was at that time recommended. Up till
now the students at TWU had to go to Simon Fraser University to finish their program. With
denying TWU to certify their teachers, the students will have to continue to go to SFU.
Trinity now wants a review of BCCT's recent decision and has filed a petition with the Supreme Court of BC. The review will take place in Chilliwack sometime next spring. BCCT claimed that they are concerned that graduates from TWU might be biased , by having signed the community standard document, against homosexual students.
However, Trinity is arguing that the BCCT has exceeded its jurisdiction as, firstly, TWU's community standard code is not connected in any way to the mandate of the BCCT under the Teaching Profession Act and BCCT's criteria in assessing an institution's program and, secondly, the council of BCCT reversed the decision made by its own review committee as well as a larger BCCT Teachers Committee. Additionally, TWU points out that there is no evidence to the claims that TWU teacher graduates might be biased against homosexual students and that BCCT has acted in a purely arbitrary manner.
Anyone who is a public school teacher, and who feels that Trinity has been treated unfairly by
the BCCT can voice their opinion by writing to:
Mr. W. Douglas Smart
Registrar BC College of Teachers
405-1385 West 8th Avenue
Vancouver, BC V6H 3V9
Please keep your letters short and polite. Do not quote the bible as this does not mean anything
to the recipient of your letter. If you know any teachers who went to Trinity, point out in your
letter that they have always behaved in a professional manner and that BCCT has acted unjustly.
Let your public school teacher friends know that a letter to that effect would be greatly
appreciated.
Parent Advisory Council
Parent Advisory Committee
Resolutions:
Here are two excellent resolutions which REAL Women of BC would encourage you to take to
your local Parent Advisory Committee at your child's school, to have them passed, so that they
may then go to the BCCPAC Annual General Meeting, April 24-27, 1997 to be passed there.
Title: Critique of the Theory of Evolution
BE IT RESOLVED THAT the BCCPAC establish an internal committee to lobby the ministry of Education to modify curriculum guides to require that teachers provide a critique or review of the problems within the general theory of evolution (macroevolution, biogenesis), including facts and research findings which appear to challenge current evolutionary theory.
Rationale: Teachers need to help students think critically. The teaching about the origins of life is unique and pervasive to many other subjects and should have special safeguards to ensure that philosophical and/or religious beliefs are not taught in the classroom. The current science, biology and social studies textbooks often contain incomplete, outdated, and even inaccurate data about the origins of life.
If you are interested in a critique of biology textbooks published in the American Biology
Teacher Journal which found that all the textbooks they examined, impeded the critical thinking
skills of students, and a succinct list of facts and research findings that should be included in
classroom discussions concerning the teaching of origins of life and macroevolution, please
write to us, enclosing a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Ask for the textbook critique on
critical thinking skills and the origins of life fact sheet.
Title: RESOLUTION CONCERNING HEALTH AND SEX EDUCATION
BE IT RESOLVED THAT the BCCPAC establish an internal committee to lobby the Ministry of Education to modify curriculum guides to require that teachers, and anyone who presents sex education in the classroom, devote equal time to promoting the postponement of sexual activity, during any discussion of sexual behavior, since it is the most effective means of preventing sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies among the young.
Rationale: Good attitudes towards sexual behavior are vital to the health and welfare of students.
The most recent research demonstrates that, 1) promoting the postponement of sexual activity is
more effective in reducing STDs and unwanted pregnancy than promoting the use of condoms
and 2) despite the current teaching advocating "safer sex", the use of condoms progressively
declines with age among sexually active students. The failure rate of condoms is approximately
13-35% and incurable STDs called Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) in genital warts and Herpes,
which are not always visible or have symptoms, can appear on areas not protected by condoms,
and spread by skin to skin contact, thus rendering all forms of current STD protection
ineffective for transmission of these diseases. HPV can lead to cancer, most commonly in the
cervix. Studies have shown that 90% of cervical cancer specimens are found to contain DNA for
this virus. Herpes can lead to brain damage and high mortality rates for babies
of infected mothers.
There are two time restraints:
1. active membership in the BCCPAC must be paid up before Dec. 15, 1996 and
2. the resolutions must be passed by Jan. 15, 1996
Hawaiian People Ignored
Although a poll has shown that three-quarters of the Hawaiians are against same-sex marriages, a state judge in Honolulu has decided that same-sex marriage is LEGAL in Hawaii. This ruling will have some serious implications for Canada. Liberal MP Tom Wappel says that "there is absolutely no question that Canadians will have to face the same ruling in the near future. However, unlike the Hawaiians, Mr. Wappel laments that Canadians are so apathetic regarding gay-rights issues, that it will be highly unlikely that there will be a large political force to fight against such a decision.
GALE
Resolving some social engineering:
An alert teacher in one of BC's school districts gives this warning:
Gay and Lesbian Educators of BC (GALE) have launched a quest to have Teachers' Associations
deliberate the following motion. It is their goal to have at least one Association take it to their
Annual General Meeting in March to be passed and implemented. This motion has been passed
by he Coquitlam Teachers Association and WILL be presented at the AGM.
"BE IT RESOLVED THAT the BCTF create a program to combat homophobia and heterosexism within the BC
public school system."
Homophobia is defined as conscious discrimination against a homosexual through verbal
and/or physical harassment. Heterosexism is defined as pervasive assumption that the person is
heterosexual.
REAL Women of BC believes that no one should be subject to verbal or physical harassment, no
matter what their differences, but why is it necessary to develop programs to teach tolerance to
just homosexuals, when the disabled are often socially rejected and endure abuse, and when
"skaters", skinheads", "skids", and "geeks", are all categories of students who are being
subjected to physical and verbal harassment? Most schools already have a code of conduct, and
the CAPP curriculum has reference to developing respect for other people's differences in it as
well. Homosexual students and teachers cannot be differentiated by their physical features like
that of true minorities needing protection, they are differentiated as a group only because of what
they do!
Other points to consider:
1. It is a tragedy when a student commits suicide because of the difficulties involved in being a homosexual. No one wants this. But the suicide rate is higher for teenagers than for any other age group in the population. To just focus on the difficulties of the homosexual teenager is doing an injustice to all other teens.
2. There is a danger in labeling a child at the elementary school level as being homosexual or having homosexual tendencies. Children go through stages where they will only play with the same gender, and gradually, their interests change focus to the opposite gender over a period of years. To label a child or a teen as a homosexual is to do a great disservice to them when the pervading social belief is that this is something that you cannot change, (even though statistics show many do). This relegates them to a small sub-group of the population whose life span (with or without contracting AIDS) is thirty years below the general population!
3. Other programs to counteract discrimination have all been developed on the basis of morally neutral, physical and visual characteristics: skin color, racial background. The homosexual cannot be visually distinguished from the rest of his peers (except by his actions or admissions.)
Please note that the above discussion has not mentioned the part of the motion which deals with "combating heterosexism". The movers may have included this part of the motion as a political ploy. They may concede to drop that section of the motion if they are supported to go ahead with the rest of it. Do not be sidetracked from the main issue; after all if the teachers in the public schools combat heterosexism, aren't they really doing themselves out of a job?
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
Dear Friends and Supporters,
A hearty welcome to our new members and thank you to all of you
who have renewed your membership. As you are aware, our
organization runs only as long as you find it important for
R.E.A.L. Women to exist and show this by your support.
You have most likely been following the civic elections on
November 16th. It was rather interesting. Here in Surrey, we
have been very fortunate as quite a few pro-family advocates were
elected to the Surrey School Board. These trustees feel it is
very important that parents be informed of what is happening and
be given an opportunity to voice their views on what is going on
in the classroom. We want to encourage you to continue to check
what is happening in your children's classes and, if you
disagree, voice your opinion. Be also sure to compliment
teachers whenever you are pleased with what they are doing. Some
of you might even consider running for School Trustee in the
future. Stay in tune by going to some of the meetings, read up
on what is going on, write letters to the editors (which is one
way of informing the public about certain issues), read up on
current affairs, and make presentations to the committees that
decide on the curriculum. Apparently, the turn out on election
day in the lower mainland was not very good. If we want to
ensure that the people who represent us get in, we must make the
effort to go out and vote .
We wish you and your families a blessed Christmas and a healthy , happy and successful 1997.
Doris Darvasi