PEI Parental Rights Group Warns Parents That School Policy Will Keep Students’ Gender Identity From Them

A PEI parental rights group says schools should be off limits to propaganda.wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock

A Prince Edward Island parental rights group wants parents to know government policy will keep them from being informed if their child uses a different name or pronouns at school.

PEI Parents say that a 2021 school directive signed by then-Minister of Education Natalie Jameson is not well understood by parents in the province.

“Did you know that parental consent is no longer required in PEI public schools? Most parents are unaware of this simple fact, and there are many other issues parents are not made aware of either,” the group said in a May 31 post on X, formerly Twitter.

Spokesperson Laura Braden told The Epoch Times in an email that the group believes schools should be off limits to propaganda.

“Public schools should be a place of neutrality and not a place for socio-political discussions nor should it be a place where third-party groups are allowed to come in and indoctrinate children about their belief systems,” Ms. Braden said.

The issue has divided the community, she said.

“These policies are incredibly divisive. Gender identity implementations challenge personal belief systems, cultural practices, and the actual science being taught at our educational institutions,” she said. “They have polarized staff and student populations.”

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

The directive the group is concerned about is “Guidelines for Respecting, Accommodating and Supporting Gender Identity, Gender Expression and Sexual Orientation in our Schools,” signed in December 2021. It lays out school policy on issues such as a child wanting to use a different name or pronoun.

“All individuals have the right to be addressed by their chosen name and to choose pronouns that align with their gender identity and/or gender expression,” the directive says.

It advises educators to get a student’s permission before telling parents and guardians about the student’s gender identity or sexual orientation.

The guidelines also direct schools to encourage all students to “self-identify.”

“Make every effort to educate students on a basic understanding of sexual and gender diversity,” the directive says. “Staff will introduce themselves to their classes using pronouns, enabling students to self-identify their own pronouns and/or names.”

Ms. Braden said the provincial government ignored the concerns of the many people who wrote before the policy was implemented. Now PEI Parents is using public information campaigns to let parents know about the policies. One of their flyers received “extremely intense” hate, she said, as opponents try to silence them.

“This isn’t the first anyone has heard from us, and it certainly won’t be the last.”

She said the group wants the guidelines removed and has a petition with over 1,200 signatures but has struggled to get the support of the PEI Conservative government to present it to the House.

“We would like to see the return of schools being a place where parental rights are respected, and where children from all walks of life and backgrounds feel comfortable,” Ms. Braden wrote in the email. “Schools should be a place of learning and not the ideological playground for teachers or third party organizations.”

Ms. Braden emphasized that PEI Parents does not condone intolerance of LGBT youth.

“We are allies with Gays Against Groomers and Northern Lights Alliance - organizations which are by very definition composed of people in this community - whom, like ourselves, are against the inappropriate sexual indoctrination of children in public schools.”

Sask, New Brunswick, and Alberta Pronoun Policies

Other Canadian provinces, including Alberta, New Brunswick, and Saskatchewan, have new policies that require schools to seek parental consent if a student wants to change names or pronouns.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe was first to announce a policy in August 2023. It brought a legal challenge by UR Pride Center for Sexuality and Gender Diversity, an LGBT peer support group. On Sept. 28, 2023, the group was able to get a court-ordered injunction against the policy.

The Saskatchewan government introduced legislation on Oct. 12, 2023, and the Parents Bill of Rights passed on Oct. 20, 2023. Mr. Moe invoked the notwithstanding clause to protect the new law, which requires schools to get parental consent when students under 16 years want to use a different gender identity or pronoun at school.

Changes to New Brunswick’s policy 713 were made in July 2023 and require parental consent before a student can change name or pronoun.

The previous policy was similar to the PEI directive in that schools were to seek a student’s permission before contacting parents. Policy 713 now says that if consent cannot be obtained, students will be directed to a social worker or psychologist to develop a plan to speak to parents when the student is ready to do so.

New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs faced criticism over the decision, with several party riding presidents calling for a leadership review. Two of his ministers quit in protest, including Minister of Post-Secondary Education Trevor Holder and Minister of Social Development Dorothy Shephard.

In January 2024, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced that schools need parental consent if a student 15 years of age or younger wants to change name or pronoun. Students who are 16 or 17 years old don’t need parental consent, but parents must be informed of their child’s decision.

Matthew Horwood contributed to this report.