CaNADA Parent Guidebook to K-12 Activism
Chapter 1
How to Obtain & Review Curriculum
In every Canadian province and territory, parents have the right to access curriculum and request to review instructional materials used in their child’s classroom. While there is no single federal law, these rights are embedded in provincial/territorial Education Acts and policies. Procedures vary, but parents are never required to justify their request — the right to review is unconditional.
Chapter 2
How to Obtain & Review Lessons Plans
Canadian parents do not have broad, automatic rights to review lesson plans. Access depends on whether teaching materials are classified as official school board records under provincial freedom of information legislation. However, all provinces recognize parental involvement through school councils/boards and consultation duties embedded in education statutes, which can be used to push for greater transparency.
Chapter 4
How to Obtain & Review Anti-Discrimination Policies (including policies on Antisemitism)
Schools must comply with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Canadian Human Rights Act, and applicable provincial/territorial human rights codes, all of which prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, or national origin. These protections extend to antisemitism. Recent federal and provincial measures have emphasized addressing antisemitism in educational settings.
Chapter 5
How to Obtain & Review Agendas for School Board Meetings
School board meeting agendas are the roadmap of decision-making in Canadian public education. They outline what elected trustees (or service centre boards in Quebec) will discuss and decide on: policies, budgets, curriculum implementation, staffing, facilities, and student programs.
Chapter 6
How to Meaningfully Participate in School Board Meetings
School board meetings in Canada are where trustees—elected representatives responsible for local public education—make key decisions about your child’s schooling. These include curriculum implementation, budget allocation, student safety, and equity policies.
Chapter 7
How to Submit Agenda Items for School Board Meetings
In Canada, parents do not usually have the power to directly place items on a school board’s agenda. The agenda is controlled by the Chair of the Board of Trustees (sometimes called the Board Chair) in consultation with the Director of Education (Superintendent/CEO) and board staff.
Chapter 8
How to Propose Changes to Lesson Plans, Curriculums, and Policies
Parents can influence both classroom practices and district-wide policies, including curriculum adoption, lesson plans, discipline frameworks, and anti-discrimination measures. While small, individual classroom adjustments are usually handled directly with teachers or principals, systemic changes require engagement with school councils, boards of trustees, and provincial committees.
Chapter 9
How to Use Access to Information Requests in Canada
Canada has strong public access laws that allow parents and community members to demand transparency from school boards, provincial ministries of education, and other publicly funded institutions. These laws—federally and provincially known as Access to Information or Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation—guarantee the right to request and obtain government records.
Chapter 10
What Students Can Do
Canadian students—whether in middle school, high school, or CÉGEP—are uniquely positioned to create change in their schools and communities. While school boards or administrators sometimes dismiss parents’ concerns as “political,” student voices are harder to ignore. When students speak about their lived experiences—especially on issues of safety, inclusion, and discrimination—school leaders are compelled to take those perspectives seriously.