British Columbia Parents and Teachers for Life

British Columbia Parents and Teachers for Life (BCPTL) is a pro-life (anti-abortion and anti-euthanasia) group of parents, teachers, and other residents and former residents of British Columbia who have a common interest in the education of youth. The group seeks, in its own words "to promote a positive attitude towards human life and to have schools support universally applicable principles of morality." BCPTL is opposed to teachers' organizations using dues to promote abortion, and has made frequent representations to the government of British Columbia opposing the provision of the Infants Act which allows the referral of minors for medical procedures including abortion without parental approval. In 2007 representatives of BCPTL as well as of REAL Women of British Columbia and Campaign Life Coalition BC met with the Attorney General Wally Oppal and a representative of the Ministry of Health to discuss this issue. The government, however, rejected their appeal.

BCPTL has been active in supporting Dr. Chris Kempling, a British Columbia teacher and counsellor who was penalized by the BC College of Teachers for his statements made in out-of school time criticizing school programs to promote acceptance of homosexuality. BCPTL awarded him life membership in April 2007.

BC Parents and Teachers for Life has opposed the Corren Settlement Agreement [http://www.ag.gov.bc.ca/public/corren/agreement.pdf] between the provincial government and two activists. BCPTL objects to this agreement as giving the two activists the right of prior consultation regarding all provincial school curricula. BCPTL has joined with several other organizations in making representations to the government regarding the Corren Settlement Agreement, and is one of the organizations which is receiving notification from the government of the posting of draft curricula and other resource material. As a result, BCPTL has already submitted a critique of the new Social Justice Twelve cours.

BCPTL promotes the rights of parents as "the prime educators of their children." It shares with similar organizations a commitment to use only non-violent methods in the pursuit of its objectives. BCPTL has a website and publishes a free e-mail bulletin, a newsletter for members, and a yearly "Parents' Alert". The organization is independent, but has co-operated with a large number of groups with common interests and similar philosophies. Although not a religious organization, its stand on traditional morality has been recognized by religious groups as well as by non-religious groups working in the public-policy area. It is, for example, listed in the Catholic Directory [http://catholicanada.com/web/index.php?option=com_mtree&task=listcats&cat_id=322&Itemid=27] as well as by the Canadian Family Action Coalition. [http://www.familyaction.org/links.htm]

BCPTL started about 1985 as British Columbia Teachers for Life," an informal group of teachers drawn together by their common attitude towards human life and their concern about the issue of teachers’ organizations officially supporting abortion. After operating for some years with a steering committee, they organized on a more formal basis in 1990. The first president of British Columbia Teachers for Life was Lila Stanford. In March of 1998, in recognition of parent support, and in view of the fact that its leaders felt it was already active in supporting parents’ rights, the organization became “British Columbia Parents and Teachers for Life.”

Membership in BCPTL is open to any resident or former resident of British Columbia nineteen years of age or over who supports the purposes of British Columbia Parents and Teachers for Life.

External links

* [http://www.bcptl.org British Columbia Parents and Teachers for Life]