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Teacher should be congratulated
Regarding the article Students join fight against RC board’s N-word policy (Dec. 13).
Putting the teacher doing her job, teaching English using Lawrence Hill’s Book of Negroes, on paid leave pending a London District Catholic school board investigation is unacceptable. Teacher Heather Hamilton is being punished for presenting history and reality to her senior students in a time when racism has reared its ugly head again.
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We recently have watched U.S. states ban books such as A Farewell to Arms, Charlotte’s Web, 1984, Animal Farm and Harry Potter. Hopefully this isn’t the direction Canadians are heading.
As a retired high school teacher, I congratulate Hamilton for standing up for what she believes.
The school board should be ashamed of itself.
Adair Foster, London
Students should protest by reading
Regarding the article Students join fight against RC board’s N-word policy (Dec. 13).
I was shocked to read the London Catholic District school board has banned students from reading The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill in English class.
This decision feels like an act of censorship reminiscent of book banning in the U.S.
I believe this calls for peaceful, student-led civil disobedience. Parents with the means should buy a copy of the book for their children, as well as for families who can’t afford it.
Students could bring the book to school, organize their own readings and discussions, and reclaim the right to engage with this important work, without teacher involvement.
The board would be powerless to stop this unless they attempt to physically remove the books or the students.
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It’s a peaceful form of resistance that upholds students’ right to learn, think critically, and explore vital literature.
We must take a stand for intellectual freedom and oppose censorship in any form.
Ron Lancaster, Hamilton
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