Nearly one year after the deadly Hamas attack on Israel that sparked war in the region and raised political tensions around the world, the Ontario government is warning school boards to keep politics out of the classroom on Oct. 7.

In a memo to the chairs of Ontario’s school boards obtained by CBC Toronto, Education Minister Jill Dunlop said intolerance, racism, antisemitism and Islamophobia have been on the rise across the province, including in schools.

She instructed school boards to continue to hold themselves accountable to “the highest standards under Ontario’s Code of Conduct and govern with respect, civility and responsible citizenship” to keep classrooms free of discrimination and harassment.

“As we approach one year since the October 7th attack, we ask all school boards across the province to uphold this principle and be vigilant in ensuring classrooms remain safe, inclusive, and welcoming for all students and staff,” Dunlop said in the memo.

The memo says classrooms should remain a safe space for students and staff, with a focus on learning, not politics.

“This means our schools and school-related activities should never be used as vehicles for political protests that enable inflammatory, discriminatory, and hateful content,” Dunlop said in the memo.

“While everyone is entitled to their own political opinions, they are not entitled to disseminate political biases into our classrooms.”

Province investigating recent field trip to protest

The memo comes as the ministry of education investigates the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) for a field trip last week, where students from 15 schools attended a protest on mercury contamination affecting Grassy Narrows First Nation.

At the protest, some people chanted pro-Palestinian slogans, as seen in videos that circulated on social media. That led Premier Doug Ford to call it a “Palestinian rally” earlier this week and complain that teachers were trying to indoctrinate children.

The TDSB is now reviewing its field trip procedures and schools have been instructed that students should not be participating in organized protests, rallies or marches during school-related outings, according to a written statement from the board this week.