I would like to congratulate Oshawa Catholic School Board trustee Fred Jones for standing up for life. Oshawa Catholic School Board trustees will be visiting China to look for opportunities for student exchanges.
This article explains the rest:
Following the Durham Catholic District School Board's approval to send three representatives to China to look at possible partnerships involving international studies, Oshawa Trustee Fred Jones tried to change the purpose of the trip.
"If we're going to China, the message we should be bringing is we're not interested (in partnerships) yet because you're not ready yet for the world community," said Trustee Jones in an interview.
After citing a published report on a woman in China forced to have an abortion at nine-months pregnant, he asked during a Sept. 24 meeting for the board's delegates travelling there to inform appropriate personnel that they have no interest in making any agreements with the country until its record on human rights substantially improves. He also wanted them to report back on China's response at the first board meeting following their return.
Going on the trip from Oct. 12 to 21 are Brock/Scugog/Uxbridge Trustee Kathy LeFort and Superintendent Carolyn Anco. They'll accompany Rob Fitzsimmons, principal of continuing and alternative education.
The board is going in response to an invitation to Greater Toronto Area schools from the People's Republic of China's consul for educational affairs. The Catholic board has to pay for its travel to the country, but accommodation, food and domestic travel will be underwritten by The China National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language.
Trustee Jones initially opposed the trip altogether, listing public executions, child labour and human rights violations as the reasons.
"It's deplorable" for the Catholic board to consider entering into a partnership with China.
Trustee Jones's motion was defeated. Pickering Trustee Paul Bannister abstained from voting, Trustee Jones and Pickering Trustee Jim McCafferty supported it, while Ajax Trustee Janice Oldman, Whitby Trustee Mary Ann Martin - board chairwoman, and Oshawa Trustee Joe Corey were against.
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