Image: Heather Maahs / Trustee Heather Maahs is pictured. Maahs, the longest-serving member of the current Chilliwack school board, posted on her Facebook account Wednesday that she hopes to introduce a parental and guardian rights policy at an upcoming SD33 school board meeting.

By Mike Vanden Bosch

SD33

SD33 trustee hopes to enshrine parental and guardian rights policy

Jan 25, 2023 | 2:33 PM

CHILLIWACK — A Chilliwack school board trustee hopes to introduce a parental and guardian rights policy at an upcoming board meeting as early as next month.

In a note on her public trustee account on Facebook Wednesday afternoon (Jan. 25), Trustee Heather Maahs said she posted a notice of motion at the SD33 Board of Education meeting on January 17.

The draft motion, according to Maahs, acknowledges that the “rights of parents and guardians need to be enshrined in policy, recognizing that parents are their child’s first educator(s), respecting their parental authority, and recognizing their rights and responsibility to participate in their child’s education.”

The policy will incorporate previous guidelines under Policy 530, addressing homeschooling, and Policy 902, dealing with volunteering.

The draft motion further calls for, but is not limited to, the following:

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* The right to volunteer in their child’s school (in accordance with SD Regulation 902.1)

* The right to access information regarding their child’s activities in school

* The right to view all their child’s files, to challenge any information, and if necessary, use the appeals process (in accordance with Bylaw 4).

* The right to having full access to all resources, curriculum and/or reading material in schools

* The right to determine what subject matter is appropriate for their child

*The right to be consulted when interventions from outside agencies or regular school activities are being considered

* The right to be provided with letter grades and/or the academic status of their child, upon request

* The right to homeschool their child with support of the school district, in accordance with legislated requirements

Maahs said the school board will seek the support of the District Parent Advisory Council and consult with individual PACs on this new policy.

She cited rationale embedded in a provincial document from the Ministry of Education. The title of the document is “Mandate for the School System, Province of British Columbia.”

“Parents have the right and responsibility to participate in the process of determining the educational goals, policies and services provided for their children. They have a primary responsibility to ensure that children are provided with the healthy and supporting environment necessary for learning. They have a responsibility to help shape and support the goals of the school system and to share in the tasks of educating their young,” Maahs wrote on her Facebook page.