Parents Concerned Over Ontario School Board’s ‘Intrusive’ Survey on Students’ Sexual Orientation and Gender

A parents group is concerned about the Thames Valley District School Board asking students to complete a survey which asks questions about students' sexual orientation and gender identity. Jazmine Thomas/Shutterstock

Parents in the Thames Valley District in Ontario are raising questions about a student survey they say is “intrusive” and lacks transparency.

The Concerned Parents Association of London and Area (CPAL) says it’s concerned over the “Everyone Belongs Student Survey,” which asks questions about students’ sexual orientation and gender identity. The survey is designed for students in Grades 7 to 12, CPAL said.

“The survey includes questions about personal identities, such as sexual orientation and gender identity, which many feel are inappropriate for educational institutions to ask students,” CPAL said in an April 5 Substack post.

Questions on a copy of the survey made public by the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB), which serves London and other nearby cities, touch on issues from racism and religion to gender and sexuality. There is also a link to an Ontario government website that defines various gender identities.

It’s not the first time the district has distributed the survey, according to the school board’s website. Students were first invited to fill it out during the 2020–21 school year.

For students in Grades 6 and under, parents are “invited to answer survey questions about their child’s identity,” the website says.

“This information is used by TVDSB to inform important decisions as we strive to ensure that programs, practices and policies reflect the identities of students in this school board,” the board says. “District and school-level teams will use these results to inform plans to support student achievement and well-being.”

All public school boards in the province are required to collect “identity data,” says the board.

The Epoch Times reached out to the board but did not hear back by publication time.

CPAL says it is concerned that schools are concentrating on ideology over academics.

“As parents, we believe that schools should focus primarily on academic achievement,” the group said on Substack. “The inclusion of such sensitive inquiries not only oversteps boundaries but also risks prioritizing divisive ideologies over the educational needs of our children.”

Parents say they’re also upset about the administration’s lack of communication about the surveys.

“Parents have a fundamental right to be informed about initiatives involving their children, yet the board’s failure to notify parents about these surveys demonstrates a disregard for parental involvement and transparency,” CPAL’s post said.

The group also notes that survey responses are tied to student identification numbers, raising privacy issues.

A notice from the school board says, “The survey is linked to the student ID number so that we can use the survey results to better understand outcomes and achievement for students of different identities.”

CPAL has invited parents to write to school boards and Education Minister Stephen Lecce to let them know their children will not be completing the survey.

“It is our duty to safeguard the well-being and educational rights of our children,” CPAL said. “By raising awareness and speaking out against initiatives that prioritize divisive ideologies over academic achievement, we can work towards creating a safer and more inclusive learning environment for all students.”

Parents and the school district have clashed over gender and sexuality issues before.

During gay pride-related events in 2023, hundreds of TVDSB students were absent, including 400 students at one London elementary school, according to the London Free Press. A majority of the students are believed to be from Muslim families.

Hiding Gender Transition From Parents

The Epoch Times reported previously that the school board has continued to allow teachers to hide students’ gender transitions from parents, contrary to the education minister’s direction that parents must be involved.

“Parents must be fully involved and fully aware of what’s happening in the life of their children. I mean, often there are health implications,” Mr.  Lecce said at an Aug. 28, 2023, press conference. He was answering a question about whether Ontario would consider legislation similar to Saskatchewan and New Brunswick, which introduced policies that require parents to be informed if their children want to change their gender pronouns at school.

Premier Doug Ford has echoed Mr. Lecee’s position.

“Most important is the parents’ rights—the parents’ rights to listen and make sure they are informed when their children make a decision,” Mr. Ford said on Sept. 8, 2023. “It’s not up to the teachers, it’s not up to the school board, to indoctrinate our kids.”

Documents obtained by The Epoch Times show that the Thames Valley District board has directed administrators to be cautious about the names used on internal digital platforms, like the MyName System. It advised educators not to use students’ names from the MyName system in the Student Information System (SIS), as parents accessing SIS could see if different names and pronouns are being used at school.

A board memo says, “Students may request a MyName change for several reasons, the most common being that not all students are ‘out’ to their parents, guardians, or caregivers and are not ready or comfortable adding a Preferred Name to the SIS.”

Board documents says students of any age and grade level have the right to be consulted about their preferred pronouns and name and “should also have the choice as to whether a separate form can be created with the name they prefer to share with parents, guardians, caregivers.”

“There is no age limit on making an accommodation request,” says the board. “All students (elementary and secondary) have a right to an accommodation with or without guardian knowledge or consent.”

Tara MacIsaac contributed to this report.