Meena Johal, a teacher at Anne J. MacArthur Public School in Milton, has been selected as one of 10 teachers in Canada to sit on the
Canadian Teachers’ Advisory Circle (CTAC) with the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
The
Canadian Museum for Human Rights initiated the CTAC to create content and resources for educators across the country. Among several objectives, CTAC guides and informs the development of new education programs and resources and reviews and pilots new programs with students. Johal saw an online advertisement requesting applications from educators this past summer. Intrigued, she applied and was notified in October that she was accepted to serve a two-year term.
“The HDSB has taken steps to ensure that human rights are not only taught as a value but as something we all have the power and ability to uphold and promote,” Johal says. “With this opportunity, my goal is to share some learning and work from my Junior classroom but I also hope to highlight events, such as the
HDSB Human Rights Symposium, as one of many tangible steps the HDSB has taken to promote human rights within the board.”
Johal explains the opportunity to be on such a prestigious panel is very exciting.
“Having a voice and space at a table that will have national impact is imperative to ensure that various perspectives and lived experiences are represented and included in authentic ways,” she says. “Especially when those voices belong to groups that have, and continue to be, excluded when creating content and programming for students that come from diverse backgrounds and lived experiences.”
As a teacher, Johal says exploring and understanding human rights with students is integral to helping them make the world a better place.
“I have the unique and important responsibility to teach young minds about human rights so they are able to understand the world around them and uphold human rights in all spaces. I feel if we have a strong knowledge and understanding in this area, we will have a deeper appreciation for one another as human beings.”
Johal hopes her appointment to the advisory panel can be an inspiration to show people the value in finding numerous ways to uphold human rights on several levels.
“Whether it be a position on an advisory council, supporting a grassroots organization, or a local initiative, we should role model for our students that we truly appreciate and uphold these values inside and outside of the classroom and inspire them to do the same in their own way.”
“Meena has been an active educator and champion supporter of inclusive practice to ensure equitable access and positive experiences for all individuals in our school community,” says Steve Pilibbossian, Principal at Anne J. MacArthur Public School. “Meena's involvement and sharing of her learning and experiences will expand our school's implementation of culturally responsive instruction and anti-oppressive practices, improving teacher practice in order to improve student engagement and achievement.”
”This is not solitary work and our individual awareness and human rights practice, in the classroom or elsewhere, is strengthened when we are able to engage, share and strategize with colleagues from different locations and environments,” says Jewel Amoah, HDSB’s Human Rights & Equity Advisor. “Meena’s appointment will provide rich insights not only to her personally, but to the HDSB on the whole. This is a fantastic appointment to profile, celebrate and inspire.”