Comprehensive sexuality education is increasingly being employed on a global scale, with controversies arising regarding the content of such education and the rights of children to access sexuality education versus parents' rights to decide the moral education of their children. In this paper, we utilise crip theory and a critical disability…

In this essay Lauren Bialystok argues that the standard liberal defense of parental opt-outs is inconsistent in the case of comprehensive sex education. Using the recent controversy over a new sex education curriculum in Ontario, Canada, as a case study, Bialystok examines the aims and effects of sex education and the self-described conscience of…

In this article, we use a recent Manitoba child custody case to provide a legal and ethical account of the notion of the best interests of the child. We explore the tension between the best interests of the child and parental rights to expression of a racist nature. We consider how the interests of different actors--the state, parents and…

Notwithstanding its many problems, Canada's education system enjoys an enviable level of equality of opportunity and still manages to perform as well as systems in England and the United States. But Canadian education has been weakened by its adoption of progressivism, or child-centered education, an educational system that is "harmful,…

Legal and ethical issues concerned with whether the mentally handicapped have a "right to parent" are considered in the context of Canadian and American Supreme Court decisions concerning sterilization, the role of the family, and the welfare of the child. (DB)

Homeschooling is becoming increasingly popular in Canada. Drawing on a variety of secondary sources and our own data from the province of Ontario, we advance three arguments. First, homeschooling is gaining legitimacy from the increasingly pluralistic nature of educational politics. Second, the lobbying tactics of homeschool advocates increasingly…

In 1999, a coalition of child advocacy groups, the Canadian Foundation for Children, Youth, and the Law, challenged Section 43 of Canada's criminal code, which permits "reasonable force" in disciplining children. The heavily debated issue turns on judges' varied interpretations. A court decision is expected by year's end. (MLH)

This review of special education policy documents as well as of a survey of and interviews with 25 Canadian school administrators found that the majority of administrators felt that the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms expands the rights of special needs students and parents and that its influence is moderate to profound. (Author/JDD)

Reviews variations in Canadian provincial policies related to the role of the church in publicly funded schools. Outlines major court decisions with respect to religion and schools that were based on the 1982 Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which greatly expanded parents' rights and potential influence in schools. (SV)

The paper examines the rights of mentally handicapped people to marry and to bear and raise children. It discusses United States and Canadian societal attitudes, laws, and constitutional issues in terms of the incapacity of mentally handicapped individuals to contract to marry, sterilization as a condition to marriage, and the concept of…

Twenty-five school administrators were surveyed concerning their experiences and opinions regarding the impact of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms on provisions for special needs students. Administrators felt that the charter has expanded the rights of students and parents, with a moderate to profound influence. Change was most…

This article evaluates the Special Education Tribunal Process, as established by the Education Amendment Act 1980 in Ontario (Canada). Findings indicate that expense, emotional discomfort, a low probability of individual success, and a delayed and protracted process are all factors which detract from the use of the tribunal by individuals seeking…

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that a state law compelling a child's attendance at a public school constitutes a violation of the parent's liberty interest under the 14th amendment. In Canada, however, courts have held that their equivalent to the 14th amendment does not encompass the liberty of parents to choose how to educate their children.…

Argues for sound practices of information management that provide educators with the information they need to make good decisions about services for students and protect the privacy of students and their families. Defines informational characteristics (accuracy, completeness, pertinence, timeliness) and systemic functions (collecting, storing,…

This article examines whether Ontario's Special Education Tribunals have expanded the educational rights of exceptional children beyond those legislated, with emphasis on the nature and quality of psychoeducational assessments provided by school boards. The review of litigation finds a number of expanded rights in this area. (Author/DB)