Strong opinions from the Anglophone East District Education Council about dismantling Policy 713.

The Department of Education and Early Childhood has announced a review of the policy that helps to create a safe, welcoming, inclusive, and affirming school environment for all students, families, and allies who identify or are perceived as LGBTQI2S+.

DEC member Dominic Vautour says recent comments from the Premier questioning the policy are deplorable, “We can’t have a province run by bigots dictate what we are doing in our school districts. We cannot let that type of attitude dictate the safety of the children, the staff members, the teachers, and everybody involved in our education system. We cannot let that kind of voice dictate what’s happening.”

This week, New Brunswick’s Child and Youth Advocate Kelly Lamrock reported on the province’s review of the policy.

The government has stated it received hundreds of emails with complaints about Policy 713, but when requested, Lamrock says he was only provided with three emails sent over 30 months.

DEC Vice-Chair Ian Hebblethwaite made a motion during their meeting this week for Council to write a letter to the Minister of Education, stating “The Anglophone East School District is opposed to any form of the dismantling of Policy 713 from its current form.”

That motion was supported unanimously by all members.

Anglophone East Superintendant Randy MacLEAN stated, “I strive and will continue to strive to create safe spaces for all of our students, all of our staff, all of our parents on a go-forward basis,  on a continuing basis to ensure that every child arrives at school feel safe. For every parent who walks in our doors to feel safe, every staff member who walks through our doors to feel safe.  We work with members of our communities who come into our schools,  support our students and support our staff.  Hundreds of volunteers come in each and every day and provide opportunities for students to extracurricular theatre through dance, reading programs in schools and a myriad of other things. We want to make sure we create spaces safe spaces for all.”

Students from several high schools across the province, including Riverview High School,  held rallies this week to protest the provincial government’s review of Policy 713.