The Bluewater District School Board may be reviewing one of the Canadian novels currently being taught in high schools.
The board was presented with two petitions by a concerned parent, one about the novel The Wars, by Timothy Findley, and another suggesting the board makes curriculum public, including descriptions of books to be studied.
The issue was brought to the board by Carolyn Waddell. She said the book’s content could have severe psychological impacts on the students reading it.
It was brought to her attention when her daughter was reading it as part of her Grade 12 English class curriculum.
“The philosophy of the sexualizing of human relationships seems to be a predominant theme in this book, even when small children are involved,” Waddell said about The Wars.
She described some parts of the book as being  “depraved,” including an entire chapter describing the hero’s visit to a brothel, and several violent sexual encounters throughout the book.
“We consider The Wars to be inappropriate to be presented to a class where there are students under 18,”?Waddell said.
She noted that all previous attempts to have the book reviewed by the board were denied, and that their campaign isn’t about censorship.
As a professional counsellor, Waddell said she’s seen the effects sexual abuse has on victims. There are three types of sexual abuse she told the board; physical, visual (the descriptions in the book can create a mental picture, she said), and psychological – which includes age-inappropriate exposure. She added there is a condition called precarious traumatization, which means even though a person hasn’t personally experienced something, the trauma of others has an adverse affect on them. She said this is her main concern for the young people reading this book.
“They don’t have the experience or training to process the type of behaviour in this book,”?Waddell said, adding she knows of people with training at the doctorate level who have had precarious traumatization.
Waddell said the book goes against board policy, including a section on sexual harassment (defined as any sexually oriented remarks, material, and behaviour that may reasonably be perceived to create adverse a psychological or emotional environment).
Further, she said, the school board should be creating a positive environment for the students to learn from.
“Resilience is built not by exposure to trauma, but by building strengths in family and community connections, and positive skills a person can draw from to help them through the difficulties of life,” she said.
Waddell said the appropriate thing to do would be to review the book immediately.
Chair Margaret Gaviller said Waddell will hear back within 30 days as to what the board has decided.


Second student survey

The Ontario Student Trustees Association is doing an online student survey for the second time this school year.
At the May 17 Bluewater District School Board meeting, student senator Janelle Taylor said this time, the survey has its own Website, and not on Facebook like the last one, so students will be able to complete it at school (Facebook is off limits at school).
The survey is cross-board, so students from the separate and public systems have the opportunity to respond.
Student trustee Nicola Bruce said they want to see more participation from the area.
“They’re really trying to get a lot more momentum with this one... the more feedback we get from students, the better,” she said.
There is also an OSTA survey for parents to complete at the site.
“They’ll be looking at the similarities of what parents feel to what students feel; that will be really interesting,”?Bruce said.
She added that the data can be zeroed down board by board as well as the province as a whole.
The Website says the results of both surveys will be released in the fall and will provide topics for debate for anyone who has an interest in education in Ontario.
Both surveys run until June 16, and are available at www.studentsurvey.ca.