Local news delivered daily to your email inbox. Subscribe for FREE to the rdnewsNOW newsletter.

Catholic Board Chair defends March for Life field trip

May 14, 2018 | 2:21 PM

The Board Chair for Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools is responding to criticism surrounding a field trip by some Red Deer high school students to attend an anti-abortion rally in Edmonton last week.

The field trip took place on May 10 with some students from both École Secondaire Notre Dame High and St. Joseph High School in Red Deer attending the ‘March for Life’ with transportation provided on a Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools bus.

In a statement, Education Minister David Eggen expressed his concern that education tax dollars might have been used.

“Frankly, I don’t believe protesting women’s fundamental rights is a good use of student time. Nor do I think it’s the best use of school resources – which should be directed to the classroom as much as possible,” Eggen said. “Our government has a strong record of protecting Alberta women’s reproductive health choices. That’s why we introduced legislation to help women access abortion services without fear of interference, harassment, or intimidation.”

RDCRS Board Chair Anne Marie Watson is defending the field trip. She says it was an optional school field trip, so students would naturally attend on their school buses.

“It was paid for by the school district because it happened during the school day,” says Watson. “Students choose to go and with the support of their parents or guardians, they were allowed to attend the March for Life.”

Watson says they’re trying to develop well-rounded citizens in their students, so they educate them to be socially aware and involved. She adds this would include encouraging and supporting students to be active in causes and events that matter to them.

“This cause, this event mattered to these students and so we supported them in attending that activity,” explains Watson.

“The decision around going on a field trip is the responsibility of local boards and schools and this is no different than any other field trip that we might organize for our students,” she added, which is a point Eggen also acknowledges.

Watson points out that students from Alberta go on all kinds of field trips that are extracurricular and other ones that would fall into the same realm as March for Life, like other socially active field trips such as ‘We Day’ or Alberta’s’ Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) conference’.

“I understand the Minister has concerns but he has not reached out to us to discuss those concerns, so they can’t be that important or he would have contacted us,” states Watson. “Parents and guardians were aware of this trip and were supportive of their students attending this trip. It was voluntary, so no students were forced to attend.”

She also wants to make clear that March for Life isn’t about ‘protesting women’s fundamental rights’ but about supporting the sanctity of human life.

“Perhaps the Minister’s understanding of what the event is about is causing some concern,” speculates Watson. “Maybe he needs to do a little bit more research into what the event actually is about, because it is not a protest against women’s rights.”