Summary:
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has called for an investigation into how Toronto District School Board (TDSB) students attending an educational field trip ended up participating in a pro-Palestinian protest. The trip, originally planned to highlight Indigenous issues at Grassy Narrows, sparked controversy when students were seen chanting political slogans. TDSB has since apologized and is reviewing its field trip policies.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has voiced strong disapproval and demanded an investigation after students from the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) were taken to a pro-Palestinian protest during a field trip that was supposed to focus on Indigenous issues. Ford described the incident as “disgraceful” and questioned how such a political demonstration became part of an educational outing without prior parental consent.
The trip, which took place on Wednesday, was initially intended for students to attend the Grassy Narrows River Run, an event meant to raise awareness of mercury contamination affecting the Grassy Narrows First Nation in northern Ontario. However, videos from the event circulating on social media showed students chanting slogans like “From Turtle Island to Palestine, occupation is a crime,” which were initiated by protest organizers.
Ford, speaking at an unrelated news conference on Monday, expressed outrage at the involvement of young students in the protest, saying, “[The students] should be in the classroom learning about reading, writing, arithmetic, the whole shebang, not at a protest.” He also called for accountability from the TDSB and emphasized the need for a thorough investigation to prevent such incidents in the future.
The TDSB issued an apology, stating that students should not be participating in organized protests during school trips. The board confirmed that it would review its field trip policies to ensure the safety and well-being of students moving forward.
“We’ll be all over this and make sure people are held accountable,” Ford added, calling the situation “disgusting” and stressing that schools should avoid exposing children to political activism without parental approval.
Education Minister Jill Dunlop also condemned the incident, expressing her disappointment and highlighting concerns about the security and safety of the students involved. “Compromising the safety of students is unacceptable,” Dunlop said, urging the TDSB to conduct a thorough review and ensure accountability.
In addition to the government’s reaction, organizations like the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center also criticized the field trip, raising concerns over political messaging in educational settings.
While the TDSB has not disclosed which schools were involved, the event has raised larger questions about how schools handle field trips and the extent to which political events should intersect with education.
https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/video/c2998193-tdsb-apologizes-after-students-attend-protest