In our increasingly polarized society, public schools have become ideological battle grounds. Some of the most contentious political debates happen at school trustee meetings and in reaction to provincial education policies. Over the last few months, the conflict has centred around pronoun use. When a kid asks their teacher to use a new name or pronoun, what should the teacher do?
In New Brunswick, until last spring, teachers were obligated to use students’ preferred names and pronouns and to ask the kid’s permission before informing the parent. New Brunswick’s Progressive Conservative government overturned that rule, making it mandatory for teachers and administrators to inform parents of any change. That decision sparked a national furor.
In August, Saskatchewan introduced a similar policy, requiring teachers to tell parents about a kid’s pronoun change, and advocates have lined up on either side. Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Education says the new policy protects the right of parents to be involved in their children’s education. Opponents of the policy say it denies vulnerable kids the opportunity to talk to a supportive adult.
Teresa Mead, a mental health therapist in Saskatoon, and her 14-year-old trans son, Ollie Mead-Ramayya, spoke to Maclean’s about their own experience and how the new policy will affect kids. When Ollie came out as trans last year, the first adult he told was his teacher. Even though his mom was open-minded, he wasn’t ready to come out at home yet. Ollie believes that the new policy will make life more difficult for trans and non-binary youth. “I don’t understand why they’re doing this to people,” he says “or how it’s helping anyone.”
—Sarah Fulford, editor-in-chief
