Over 104,000 students from the largest school board in Canada participated in a Respect for Life Week in May.
Toronto’s Metro Separate School Board (MSSB) passed a resolution that the second week in May would be set aside for discussion, activities and prayer. This coincidentally tied in with a youth celebration at Skydome and the commemoration of abortion in Canada.
The MSSB describes its Respect for Life Week as an “annual opportunity to celebrate our recognition of the profoundly sacred nature of life.” Students will look at two categories of the life issue: those which take human life (abortion, euthanasia) and those which attack human dignity (social or economic injustice). This year’s focus was on abortion and euthanasia.
The board set up a list of proposed activities, reading and visual materials and contact numbers which would help teachers in setting a suitable agenda. Some of the activities planned were meeting and discussing the topic with the parents, student conferences and an Arts Festival which included literary, visual and dramatic presentations on the part of students.
The final element of the week consisted of biblical readings, hymns and prayers which provided the spiritual side of the event.
Most board members and teachers welcomed the event and hoped that it would increase student understanding of the life issue.
