Peter L. Biro: Keep Politics Out of Graduation Ceremonies
Our schools ought to produce democracy defenders rather than social justice warriors, argues Peter L. Biro in a recent commentary. The author, a long-time scholar of democracy and civics education, supports Ontario Education Minister Paul Calandra's directive to keep graduation ceremonies apolitical.
Calandra's letter to school boards called for ceremonies to be "strictly student-centred, apolitical, inclusive and respectful," reportedly in response to a Hamilton Wentworth School Board memo that suggested focusing on "colonization and a whole host of other divisive issues" alongside student achievement. Biro emphasizes that this does not mean avoiding contentious topics in classrooms; rather, graduation events should represent what unites all students, not what divides them.
Biro draws on Aristotle's observation that the thirst for knowledge is universal, but argues that liberal democracies require citizens who understand and uphold constitutional norms. He warns against "defining deviancy down," a concept from Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, where citizens become habituated to violations of democratic principles. Public education's first duty, Biro contends, is to arm students against illiberalism, whether from autocrats, expediency, or social justice crusades.
This approach emphasizes fundamentals like equality, pluralism, self-determination, the rule of law, and truth-seeking. Biro insists that schools must train students to recognize threats to these values, not silence dissent or stifle aspirations for change. The goal is to produce competent stewards of a free and democratic society, not to enlist students in political causes.
Biro's article underscores a broader debate about the role of education in a democracy, balancing the need for critical engagement with the preservation of inclusive, unifying ceremonies. He concludes that keeping politics out of graduations respects the diversity of students and the principles of liberal constitutionalism.
