Parents are not pulling their children away from the school system “for no reason.”
Many families across Newfoundland and Labrador are losing confidence because they feel ignored, shut out, and dismissed when raising legitimate concerns about what is happening inside classrooms.
The government is now admitting absenteeism has exploded since the pandemic, especially among junior high and high school students. But instead of asking why trust is collapsing between parents and the education system, officials continue acting as though parents are the problem.
For years, families have been asking for transparency:
• What exactly is being taught in schools?
• Why are parents sometimes denied access to curriculum materials or classroom content?
• Why are concerns about gender ideology or identity-based teaching often treated as “hate” instead of open discussion?
• Why do parents feel they are being pushed out of decisions involving their own children?
Whether people agree or disagree on these issues, one thing is undeniable: trust disappears when institutions stop listening.
Many parents believe schools have shifted away from core education — reading, writing, math, science, and life skills — and moved toward politically and socially charged topics that families were never properly consulted on. When concerns are brushed aside behind closed doors, frustration grows.
And now the numbers are showing it.
Students are disengaging. Parents are disengaging. Confidence in the system is eroding.
A healthy education system requires partnership between schools and families — not secrecy, division, or the idea that parents should simply “stay out of it.” Parents are not extremists for wanting transparency, involvement, and a voice in their children’s education.
If government officials truly want to address absenteeism and rebuild confidence, they need to start by listening instead of labeling.
Because when parents no longer trust the system, the entire system begins to break down.
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