Ontario school boards told to ‘honour the Queen’ on Monday

The Ford government has told school boards across the province to observe a moment of silence on Monday in honour of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral despite concerns raised that any tribute for the monarchy could be “triggering” for some.

The directive from the Ministry of Education comes after the York Region District School Board instructed teachers to avoid tributes to the Queen in the classroom because the subject could remind students of the personal losses they may have experienced.

“For many people, including the Indigenous people of Canada, this could definitely be a painful event,” said University of Toronto professor Kerry Bowman. “We really have to respect people’s differences on this. Those differences might be participation or they might be choosing to completely stand back from this. And I think that schools should respect that as well.

“If you simply say we’re not doing it, you really cut off the options for the students that really feel this is an obligation and something they choose to do and want to do.”

In a statement to CityNews the board said, “Our focus is always to ensure children are supported while in our classrooms. In a region as richly diverse as ours, there will be different reactions to news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II.”

The directive was sent before Premier Doug Ford declared Sept. 19 would be a provincial day of mourning after the federal government declared it a holiday.

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Education Minister Stephen Lecce said on Thursday schools will participate in a moment of silence on Monday and he encouraged educators to hold discussions and memorials to celebrate the Queen’s life.

“We have made clear our direction that all schools are to recognize the profound impact of Queen Elizabeth II’s lifelong and unwavering devotion to public service,” Lecce said in a statement. “I have directed this board to implement the province’s expectation, honour the Queen on the date of her funeral, and enrich students with a strong understanding of the values and enduring legacy of Canada’s constitutional democracy.”

The school board’s initial stance and the government’s subsequent push back has prompted mixed reaction.

“It’s kind of a difficult question,” one woman told CityNews. “There’s obviously a component of her being historically head of state but there’s also that colonial background.”

“I think there should be a day for her because of how important she was in history and how important she was as a person,” said another man.

One woman we spoke to said while she believes the monarchy has outlived its usefulness, “A moment of silence is acceptable.”