Canadians do not all agree on everything. If they did, there would be no need for different political parties, or elections for that matter. In reality, Canada is a diverse country composed of people with different beliefs, values, and preferences, which means we must be judicious and balanced when we interact with our friends, neighbours, and coworkers who hold different opinions from us.

Nowhere is this more important than in our public education system. While an increasing number of parents are choosing independent schools and even homeschools, a large majority still send their children to a government-run public schools.

Thus, when public school teachers welcome students into their classrooms, they accept the responsibility of working together with their parents, including parents whose beliefs differ from their own. It’s not the role of teachers to ensure that students adopt “correct” beliefs, whether on religion, politics, environmentalism, or gender identity.