Schools Committee Rejects Holodomor Recommendation

    On June 2, 2008 a presentation was made to the Program and School Services Committee comprised of Toronto District School Board Trustees to include the Holodomor [Famine/Genocide Ukraine 1932-33] as a compulsory component of genocide education in a grade eleven course.

Complete and detailed reasons were outlined by: Andrew Melnyk, a high school principal, who held positions in York Region and was responsible for writing and teaching the Principal's course material at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (University of Toronto); Valentina Kuryliw, department head of history and teacher for 35 years, daughter of Holodomor survivors; Luba Tarapacky, parent with 2 children attending TDSB high school; Alex Chumak, former TDSB Trustee; and Chrystyna Bidiak, President of the Ukrainian Women's League, a concerned taxpayer. These reasons included a Bill passed by the Canadian Parliament and obtained Royal Assent declaring the Holodomor as an act of genocide. Many other governments had previously passed similar legislation. It is stated that up to ten million people were starved to death, including three million children. Bill C-459, Ukrainian Famine and Genocide Memorial Day Act will commemorate the Holodomor annually on the last Saturday in November, leaving many students questioning the school board about its academic exclusion.

A motion at the School Board Committee meeting declared that three genocides would be considered compulsory teaching in the genocide course - the Holocaust, the Rwandan and Armenian genocides.

The committee's decision and recommendations will be taken to a full Board meeting in two to three weeks. The meeting left those present with the impression that the TDSB is not progressive in their thinking about educating students, nor was it fair in the conclusion it reached, contrary to the evidence that was expertly presented.

Eugene Yakovitch (Chair of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress Toronto Branch Holodomor Committee)