Poll shows B.C. parents want balance—not bias—in K-12 classrooms

Parents of kids in K-12 schools in British Columbia want balance—not bias—in their kids’ classrooms, and want to be informed in advance about what their children learn about controversial topics, according to a new public opinion poll.

Specifically, the poll (conducted by Leger and commissioned by the Fraser Institute) found that 85 per cent of B.C. parents with kids in K-12 schools believe teachers and the provincial curriculum should focus on facts—not teacher interpretations (which may include opinions) of those facts. Only one in 10 B.C. parents disagreed.

Currently, B.C.’s K-12 curriculum guides are sorely lacking in fact-based content. For example, B.C. students can graduate high school with almost no knowledge of Canadian history. And because the current curriculum guide encourages teachers to interpret facts to suit their opinions, what kids learn can vary greatly depending on their teachers.

When it comes to controversial topics such as gender, sexuality and climate change, according to the poll, 77 per cent of B.C. parents “strongly agree or somewhat agree” that teachers should present both sides of controversial issues or avoid them entirely. By contrast, 16 per cent of B.C. parents disagreed.

Moreover, 85 per cent of B.C. parents agreed that schools should provide advance notice when controversial topics will be discussed in class or during formal school activities. This isn’t surprising because many parents would want to discuss these issues with their children in advance or in some cases, remove their children from those lessons.

In fact, when controversial topics arise, 77 per cent of B.C. parents believe parents should have the right to remove their children from those lessons without consequence to their children’s grades. Of the minority who did not believe parents should have this right, most said “children need to learn about all topics/viewpoints, regardless of their parents’ bias.”

And an overwhelming majority of parents in B.C. (88 per cent) believe classroom materials and conversations about potentially controversial topics should always be age appropriate.

This issue of parental consent in B.C. has made headlines and it’s somewhat of a political football in the province. Yet there’s a clear consensus among B.C. parents of kids in K-12 schools that parental information and consent, especially around controversial issues, is important. These survey results can help inform provincial and school-level policies when it comes to curriculum development and parental involvement.

Parents in B.C. strongly value balance rather than bias in the classroom, and they value facts over teacher interpretations or opinions about those facts. Which issues are controversial and appropriate will vary by family, but according to this new poll, most B.C. parents believe K-12 schools should leave those decisions up to parents.