Manitoba School Board Upholds Flag Policy, Reinstates ‘God Save the King’ in Classrooms

The flag of Manitoba flies in Ottawa, on Nov. 1, 2021. The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld

A Manitoba school board has voted down a motion to revoke its flag policy over concerns about inclusion, keeping the current protocol that allows only the Canadian, provincial, and school flags to be flown at schools.

The Mountain View School Division (MVSD) board in Dauphin, Man., voted down a motion during a Feb. 24 board meeting to rescind its current flag policy, which has been in place since last September. Calls to include more flags, such as the treaty and Métis flags, have emerged in recent months, with newly elected trustees arguing the current policy fails to represent all students.

The motion fell short of the five votes required for a majority. Ward 4 trustee John Taylor, whose vote could have altered the outcome, was absent due to illness.

The board also decided to reinstate “God Save the King” in classrooms, a practice that has not been enforced in decades but is dictated by provincial legislation.

Board chair Jason Gryba earlier this month called for the royal anthem to be included in morning announcements, saying it was an opportunity for students to learn about Canada’s constitutional system. But the board put the policy’s implementation on hold through a motion in the previous meeting, arguing it may stall progress toward indigenous reconciliation.

The school board, which oversees 16 schools in and around Dauphin, plans to include the royal anthem in the announcements from early next week, after the national anthem and land acknowledgements.

Flag Policy Unchanged

The Epoch Times previously reported on the debate over inclusion brewing within the board. Gryba, who voted to keep the current policy, says it already promotes inclusion by creating “welcoming and neutral” spaces and not making “distinctions” between groups. Meanwhile, Trustee Jarri-Ann Thompson for Ward 4, who was in favour of revoking the policy, says it silences minorities.

“I fought hard to make my voice heard–to make our voices heard,” wrote Thompson in a Feb. 24 social media post. “I stood for my fellow LGBTQ2S+ community members, those with exceptional needs, and my fellow Indigenous people. But in the end, it wasn’t enough. The flag motion will stand.”

Ward 2 trustee Scott Lynxleg, who also supported the motion to rescind the policy, described the meeting in a Feb. 24 social media post as “not a good night for reconciliation and other minorities/marginalized people.”

When the board first announced its flag policy last September, it said the decision sent the message that “everyone is welcome, included, and supported under these banners.” Gryba said before the board adopted the policy, the “unrestricted” display of flags led to “unnecessary tension and distraction within schools.”

Ward 2 trustee Paul Coffey previously told The Epoch Times those tensions became evident last winter when students removed two flags on display: the Russian flag and the Pride flag. He said the Russia-Ukraine war has become a sensitive topic, and that it is likely Russian flags affect Dauphin’s large Ukrainian population. He cited similar reasons for reactions to the Pride flag, noting the city’s large Christian community.

“The picture that I got is that people want us to focus on numeracy, literacy and critical thinking,” Coffey said at the Feb. 24 board meeting, arguing that debates over the flag policy shift the focus away from education.

Bringing Back The Royal Anthem

In a 6-3 vote, the school board on Jan. 27 passed a motion to put the observance of “God Save the King” on hold, until the board consulted the “antiquated legislation” with the minister of education and the Manitoba School Boards Association.

Manitoba’s Schools Patriotic Observances Regulation, registered in November 1988, establishes that students in public schools should sing “O Canada” at the beginning of the school day and “God Save the King” at the end of the day.

“God Save the King” is the national anthem of the United Kingdom as well as Canada’s royal anthem. It first emerged as a patriotic song in England during the 18th century. In Canada, it is officially performed in the presence of royal representatives or at royal events, but it is no longer a standard feature at public events.

Lynxleg opposed the policy’s implementation, saying the legislation doesn’t belong in the school division. “There are some laws that are outdated, that hurt people, that put us back in reconciliation,” Lynxleg said at the meeting. “‘God Save the King’ is one of them.”

Gryba, for his part, said the board should abide by provincial legislation, arguing that “compliance with provincial law is not a matter for debate but a fundamental duty of elected trustees.”

In the latest meeting, Gryba presented a letter from legal counsel, stating that the board is legally obliged to implement the legislation.

Manitoba Education Minister Tracy Schmidt has said the province is conducting a broad regulatory review of education that began before the board’s decision, and that it will include morning announcements.

The Epoch Times sought comment from the Manitoba School Boards Association but did not hear back.

“We are hoping to use this as a learning opportunity for both staff and students,” Gryba told The Epoch Times, adding that, before implementing the policy, schools may host a briefing session “so that both staff and students are aware of why we recognize the Crown.”

While staff and students will be encouraged to stand during the national anthem, land acknowledgments and the royal anthem, they will have the option to “sit quietly and respectfully for any or all of them if it is against their beliefs,” Gryba said.

Thompson said her children will not observe the royal anthem. “Let me be clear: My kids won’t be standing,” she said in her social media statement, following the meeting. “If that’s a problem, so be it. Take me to court if you must.”

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.