The Toronto District School Board is reviewing their field trip policy after parents were outraged over middle school students participating in a “field trip” at a downtown Toronto political protest that turned into an anti-Israel demonstration.
In an email to parents sent earlier this week, viewed by the Toronto Sun, Wednesday’s protest at Grange Park was to support Grassy Narrows First Nation’s decades-long struggle with a devastating mercury contamination by area industry.
A larger protest also took place at Queen’s Park.
The field trip was billed as an “educational opportunity … to learn about Indigenous activism, environmental justice and human rights.”
Mel, a parent of a child whose class participated in Wednesday’s protest, said parents first got wind of it via a call for parental volunteers.
“We flagged it to teachers, the superintendent, principal and trustees,” she said, adding she didn’t allow her child to attend.
“But they proceeded anyway.”
While learning about Indigenous issues is vital, she said, she questioned the wisdom of bringing middle-school students to a protest.
“Why not do it in a controlled environment where it’s a two-way dialog, so kids can engage and ask questions,” she said.
“Teach kids how to think, not impose views upon them. I’d like to know how much the kids know about Grassy Narrows. They should know about Grassy Narrows.”
Despite the letter insisting students would only observe the event, video posted to social media depicted school-aged children marching alongside protestors.
Parent Maya Fitzpatrick said children as young as 11 shouldn’t give up classroom time to attend political rallies.
“I fully support Indigenous rights and issues, and I believe there are better ways to educate students on this matter than what transpired on this so-called ‘field trip,’” she told the Sun. “There’s no room for two-way dialogue, and the potential for safety risks is high.”
She was also concerned about how the rally quickly diverged away from Grassy Narrows.
Videos obtained by the Sun depict organizers leading chants like “from Turtle Island for Palestine, occupation is a crime,” with schoolchildren holding signs and chanting along.
Other footage showed students marching alongside flag-waving Elementary Teachers of Toronto members, while a masked woman in a white “Justice for Grassy Narrows” shirt shouted anti-Israel chants into a megaphone.
That earned condemnation from Idit Shamir, consul-general of Toronto’s Israeli consulate.
“The TDSB has crossed a line,” she wrote on X. “Children get sent to school to learn, they should never be forced to participate in political protests.”
In a statement, the TDSB said they understand “issues beyond the main focus of the event” were raised, and that some students were “negatively impacted” through their attendance.
“Students should not be participating in organized protests as part of a field trip, and this clarification will be shared with the system,” the statement read. “The TDSB will also be reviewing its field trip procedures to provide guidance that upholds the safety and well-being of students.”
B’nai Brith Canada’s Richard Robertson accused the TDSB of failing students.
“The TDSB endangered students by exposing them to potential indoctrination to a caustic situation and an atmosphere conducive to sowing division,” he said.
“The TDSB clearly didn’t perform proper due diligence, and compounded the failure by not reacting once it became clear the event was morphing into something other than what its organizers had advertised.”
Spadina-Fort York MP Kevin Vuong called on those responsible to be held accountable and fired.
“They lied, they put children in danger, and they made a mockery of Canada’s efforts of reconciliation with a national day of mourning quickly approaching,” he said. “What the TDSB teachers did was deceitful and unconscionable.”
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