OECTA should focus on helping teachers guilty of child sexual abuse

OECTA, the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association, has been in the news of late for their support of the World Pride parade to held in Toronto, in June 2014. The fact that OECTA’s leadership sees the need to participate in an event that openly contradicts Catholic teaching should be of serious concern to all parents sending their children to Catholic schools.

The president of the union, James Ryan was quoted in The Catholic Register that he is aware that bishops are “not happy we are in the parade.” Here’s how Ryan tries to rationalize OECTA’s decision. He says, “Marching in the parade is not an acceptance or an approval of some of the peripheral groups that might join that parade, such as the nudists or anything like that. We support the Church’s teachings on chastity and we support the Church’s teachings on all issues.” This is Swiss cheese thinking where we pretend the holes contain cheese. Not so. Ryan should know better. You cannot support the parade and then claim that you back the Church’s teaching. Catholic parents deserve an honest and clear answer. If OECTA is Catholic, then the association should not participate in the parade. End of story.

Cardinal Thomas Collins has expressed his disapproval of OECTA’s decision since it demonstrates an “inadequate and mistaken understanding of their faith.” OECTA instead of supporting World Pride parade could pay more attention to teachers who have their teaching certificates revoked because of sexual abuse. For at least a decade now, our schools have pushing and sexualizing the curriculum more and more. This sadly serves to oversexaulize children. It's actually a form of abuse. Some of the negative consequences can already be seen in the number of teachers that are forced to leave the profession because of misconduct resulting from child sexual abuse.  (more...)

OECTA should focus on helping teachers guilty of child sexual abuse

Post by Parents As First Educators.