Schools Committee Rejects
Holodomor Recommendation
On June 2, 2008 a
presentation was made to the Program and School Services Committee comprised of
Toronto District School Board Trustees to include the Holodomor
[Famine/Genocide Ukraine 1932-33] as a compulsory component of genocide
education in a grade eleven course.
Complete and detailed reasons were outlined by: Andrew Melnyk, a
high school principal, who held positions in York Region and was responsible
for writing and teaching the Principal’s course material at the Ontario
Institute for Studies in Education (University of Toronto); Valentina Kuryliw,
department head of history and teacher for 35 years, daughter of Holodomor
survivors; Luba Tarapacky, parent with 2 children attending TDSB high school;
Alex Chumak, former TDSB Trustee; and Chrystyna Bidiak, President of the
Ukrainian Women’s League, a concerned taxpayer. These reasons included a Bill
passed by the Canadian Parliament and obtained Royal Assent declaring
the Holodomor as an act of genocide. Many other governments had previously passed
similar legislation. It is stated that up to ten million people were starved to
death, including three million children. Bill C-459, Ukrainian Famine and
Genocide Memorial Day Act will commemorate the Holodomor annually on the
last Saturday in November, leaving many students questioning the school board
about its academic exclusion.
A motion at the School Board Committee meeting declared that three
genocides would be considered compulsory teaching in the genocide course - the
Holocaust, the Rwandan and Armenian genocides.
The committee’s decision and recommendations will be taken to a
full Board meeting in two to three weeks. The meeting left those present with
the impression that the TDSB is not progressive in their thinking about
educating students, nor was it fair in the conclusion it reached, contrary to
the evidence that was expertly presented.
Eugene Yakovitch is Chair of the Ukrainian
Canadian Congress -