For Immediate Release
B’nai Brith Canada expresses its outrage and concern at inflammatory remarks made today by Mr. Earl Manners, President of the Ontario Secondary Schools Teacher’s Federation. Mr. Manners accused private and denominational schools of “allow(ing) students to discriminate by race, religion, culture, or ability”. He went on to say that private and denominational schools do not reflect the diversity of the province, and criticized their views of gender roles. B’nai Brith Canada considers this a challenge to the integrity of schools that have produced generations of Responsible citizens in Ontario.
Contrary to what Mr. Manners may believe and certainly implied in his speech, education in denominational schools and communities does not revolve around racism, sexism, and homophobia. It is based upon an ethos that promotes responsibility to the community and responsible citizenship. In short, These schools create and promote environments where fairness and social justice are important. For example, The public system has recently discovered the value of volunteerism and community service among its students, and has made it a requirement. Many Jewish and other denominational schools have been doing this for decades. Mr. Manners is either ignorant of this, or is solely interested in sowing disharmony and discord in this province.
Rochelle Wilner, an educator by profession, and President of B’nai Brith Canada reacted strongly. “I am surprised that OSSTF President Earl Manners would stoop to invoking the bywords of prejudice and discrimination in his address today to the Federation. It would be ironic if it weren’t so appalling that the very communities and schools Mr. Manners so viciously attacks have until now been the victims of blatant discrimination enshrined in law. It further challenges the intellect to castigate the one government in recent history which has taken action to end this discrimination.”
Toni Silberman, Senior Vice President of B’nai Brith Canada and Chair of its League for Human Rights added: “It might be instructive to Mr. Manners to investigate the number of racist, homophobic, and antisemitic incidents occurring at denominational schools, and to compare this with the incidence of such behaviour in the public system. He would find that such incidents are quantifiably lower in the denominational schools. This demonstrates the utter incomprehensibility of Mr. Manners’ statements.”
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B’nai Brith has been active since 1875 as the country's senior advocacy and volunteer agency.
For more information, please contact:
Rochelle Wilner or Frank Dimant at (416) 633-6224
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