Ontarioâs post-secondary institutions have ushered in free-speech policies, meeting a provincially imposed Jan. 1 deadline to tackle an issue that has polarized students in this province and beyond.âIt strikes a balance ... It will give people some guidance,â said Linda Franklin, president of Colleges Ontario, of the new standard policy adopted in mid-December by all publicly-funded colleges.âIt gives administrators the right to say âWe have to think about safety on campus and hate speechâ â â which remains prohibited â but also doesnât silence those with opinions that are unpopular, she said.Those on campus have to know there are âspeakers that you may not like or who support your world view,â but open dialogue is essential, Franklin added.âWeâre committed to the open discussion of diverse ideas and respecting everyoneâs rights to express their opinions.âLast August, after incidents on campuses across North America where speakers faced protests, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities Merrilee Fullerton told colleges and universities they needed to implement free-speech policies and have them in place for the New Year. Read more: Ford tells post-secondary schools to develop âstrongâ free speech policies or face budget cuts Opinion | Martin Regg Cohn: Doug Fordâs conversion and confusion on free speech versus hate speechLife coach, free speech champion, Messiah? A Swedish journalist tries to understand Jordan Peterson through the lens of his fansIn Ontario, protests â and even arrests â have followed controversial speakers such as University of Toronto professor Jordan Peterson and Lindsay Shepherd, a Wilfrid Laurier graduate student and teaching assistant. Shepherd was disciplined after showing her students a video of Peterson, who has gained notoriety for his public fight against the use of gender-neutral pronouns.Institutions ...
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