I am a parent and resident of Ontario who believes public schools should be places of unity, not division. On October 27, 2025, families across the Durham District School Board received an email sharing the “DDSB Guide to Support Muslim Students, Staff, and Families.” The message described the guide as “a meaningful step forward in our ongoing efforts to eliminate discrimination, including Islamophobia, and to promote inclusion for all.” Attached to the email was a 39-page document outlining policies and practices focused on a single faith community.

While I understand the intent behind the email and the guide, many of us felt disappointed and excluded. Public education is supposed to be neutral, welcoming every student, whether they are Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, Indigenous, or of no faith at all. When a school board promotes a document centered on one religious group without offering similar recognition or understanding for others, it creates the perception that equality and inclusion are selective.

This is not about opposing any community. It is about ensuring that fairness and mutual respect apply to everyone equally. Families from all backgrounds should feel valued and represented in their children’s schools. Equity should unite us, not divide us, by creating an environment where everyone belongs without feeling overshadowed or ignored.

I am calling on the Ontario Ministry of Education and all school boards to review how they communicate about faith and identity. Future messages and resources should reflect the diversity of all Ontarians equally. Let us return to the principle that made our public education system strong: one community, many beliefs, equal respect.