Opinion: Ontario’s culture war on schools threatens democracy

Ontario’s public schools are being turned into a stage for a culture war that threatens the very democratic values we claim to uphold.

Over the past month, we’ve witnessed a series of disturbing events at the Toronto District School Board. A September 26 professional development day devolved into a fear-mongering police presentation—complete with Fox News clips and no clear learning goals—leaving teachers shaken instead of supported. Then, a Board-approved Islamic Heritage Month calligraphy workshop for 2,600 students was abruptly cancelled under political pressure. The presenter had the audacity to include an historically accurate calligraphy map of Palestine that encompassed present-day Israel. Days later, Education Minister Paul Calandra condemned  Earl Haig Secondary School for allowing  ‘O Canada’ to be sung  in Arabic, claiming it made people feel “unsafe.”

These are not isolated incidents. They are symptoms of a government deliberately manufacturing division while it guts the public system. Since installing Supervisor Rohit Gupta to bypass elected trustees, the Ford government has centralized control, expanded class sizes, and starved schools of resources—all while inflaming fear about language, race, and identity.

Let’s be clear: Arabic is spoken by hundreds of millions worldwide. Muslim heritage is part of Ontario’s story. Demonizing these expressions isn’t about safety—it’s about silencing. This politics of distraction allows the real damage to continue: chronic underfunding, overcrowded classrooms, and the quiet sell-off of public assets.

Canada helped write the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. As a nation that champions equality and freedom of belief, we cannot accept a government that punishes teachers for standing up to racism or students for celebrating who they are.

Defending public education means defending democracy itself. The choice before us is simple: a society that encourages critical thought and inclusion—or one that fears them.

Nigel Barriffe is a Dad, public school teacher, singer songwriter