We need our teachers to be people of integrity and good character, who accept that they are role models for our chioldren, in their thoughts, their words, and their deeds. We can accept that such comments as were popsted by this teacher come from a person who does not know the facts, but this one says that he does. This is not an inadvertent remark, nor an inappropriate racist joke. These are words of disrespect and words of attack. They are the verbal equivalent of a slap in the face or a punch to the head. They display more than ignorance, they display intolerance and rejection. Any Aboriginal child in his classroom would know almost instantly that he does not like them or their family, or where they come from or their leaders, or their heroes or their sense of self. He would be incapable of helping them to understand why things are the way they are, or what being an Aboriginal person means in this day and age. Similarly, he would be incapable of helping non-Aboriginal children to understand what Aboriginal people have experienced in this country and what it means to say We are all Treaty People. When negative thinking crosses the line into intolerance and words of hate, society has the right to expect that its children will be protected. I would hope that the parents of non-Aboriginal children would also see the potential negative impact that such a teacher would have on their children. All parents need to be concerned. Reconciliation requires leadership.
Posted on: Thu, 11 Dec 2014 12:59:06 +0000
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