The “Parents’ Bill of Rights” was introduced in the Saskatchewan Legislature on Thursday morning. (980 CJME file photo)

By CJME News

AT THE LEG

Saskatchewan government introduces ‘Parents’ Bill of Rights’

Oct 12, 2023 | 12:54 PM

The Sask. Party’s new “Parents’ Bill of Rights” has been introduced in the Saskatchewan Legislature.

The bill, the government said, outlines the rights parents have to make decisions around their children’s education and invokes the Charter’s notwithstanding clause “to ensure parents must provide consent if a child wants to change their gender identification in school.”

Using the clause was necessary after a judge granted an injunction blocking the policy. Justice Michael Megaw wrote that the policy had the possibility of causing “irreparable harm” to vulnerable children, and granted the injunction pending the outcome of a lawsuit still before the courts.

Immediately following the injunction, Premier Scott Moe announced his intention to use the notwithstanding clause to push through the policy despite the court order.

According to Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill, who introduced the bill on Thursday, parents should always be involved in important decisions around their kids.

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“The Parental Inclusion and Consent policy introduced in August and now this new legislation we are introducing today will ensure that continues to be the case,” Cockrill said in a statement.

“This legislation provides clarity that the policy will remain in place.”

Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill introduced the “Parents’ Bill of Rights” in the Saskatchewan Legislature on Thursday. (Lisa Schick/980 CJME)

The bill outlines a number of rights that parents have around their children’s education, including their right to act as the primary decision maker, the right to be regularly informed of attendance, behavior and academic achievement, and the right to consult with teachers and other school staff.

When it comes to gender identity, the bill says parents have a right to provide consent for students under 16 “before the pupil’s teachers and other employees of the school use the pupil’s new gender-related preferred name or gender identify in school.”

The bill also contains new parental rights around sex education.

According to the government, parents have the right to be informed – two weeks in advance – of “the subject matter of the sexual health content,” as well as the dates it will be presented.

Students can also be withdrawn from sex ed. lessons if the parent or guardian chooses, the provincial government said, by providing written notice to the school’s principal.

Other parental rights contained in the proposed legislation include the right to “excuse the pupil from participating in the opening exercises,” the right to be consulted prior to any dental or medical exams or treatment administered in school, and the right to serve as a member of the school’s community council.

Under the new legislation, parents will also have the right to access the student’s school file, be informed of the school’s policies around discipline and code of conduct, and be notified of any disciplinary or investigative action taken by the school involving their child or any issues around attendance.

Many have voiced their opposition to the provincial government’s push for greater parental rights and the decision to invoke the notwithstanding clause in order to do so.

Several large rallies have been held around the province opposing the measures, and the Saskatchewan NDP has signalled its intention to scrutinize the new legislation in detail.

“When the government is suggesting that they’re going to invoke the notwithstanding clause to – clearly put – upend human rights (and) charter rights, I think it’s incumbent on the official opposition to ensure that that bill has full scrutiny,” Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck said in a previous interview.

The government has offered a concession to the NDP by saying the bill will get twice the typical amount of debate time – 40 hours rather than 20.