CELEBRATE LOVE GROUNDED IN DIGNITY AND NON-VIOLENCE

February is the month we devote to love. We hang “Be Kind” posters in school hallways, remind teenagers about consent and healthy relationships, and get ready for Pink Shirt Day with its message about standing up to bullying. Yet, with all this talk about love and respect, Canada’s Criminal Code still allows adults to hit children. Section 43 is the clause that makes this possible.

In simple terms, assault is applying force to someone without their consent. Section 43 creates a special defense for parents, teachers, and “persons standing in the place of a parent” who use “reasonable” force by way of correction. Children are the only group in Canada singled out in law as people who can be subjected to physical punishment, as long as an adult can convince a court it was “reasonable.” We do not hit our animals or pets, but for children, how is this still ok?

REMOVED CATEGORIES

It wasn’t always just children. The original Criminal Code allowed physical punishment of prisoners, sailors, apprentices, wives, and others. Over time, Canadians decided those practices didn’t fit with the kind of society we want to be, and those categories were removed. By 2001, Parliament strengthened animal‑cruelty provisions in section 446, while not changing the defense that allows adults to cause pain to children in the name of discipline.

That leaves us with one of the most vulnerable groups being the last group left open to physical punishment. Canada signed the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and promised to protect children from “all forms of physical violence,” yet we have kept this defense in place. It’s hard to explain to a child that the same country telling them “violence is never the answer” still has a law that says being hit is sometimes okay if you are small enough and call the person hitting you “Mom,” “Dad,” or “teacher.”

CALL TO ACTION

If February is truly about love, maybe we need to talk about what love for children actually looks like. Some still argue that hitting a child is “for their own good,” an act of care and correction. But love grounded in dignity and non‑violence looks different. It uses evidence‑based guidance and discipline, not fear and pain.

Research has piled up for years now against corporal punishment, and by 2025, 67 countries abolished similar legal defenses and moved to fully protect children from physical punishment. Canada, a country that loves to see itself as a leader on human rights, is trailing behind.

So here is a February call to action. If we want our “Be Kind” posters and Pink Shirt Day messages to mean something, our laws must line up with our language. Repealing section 43 would be one concrete way to tell children, “You are not the exception to our rules about safety.” Updating provincial policies to explicitly prohibit corporal punishment in all child‑serving settings would be another. And we can back all of this up by supporting parents and teachers with positive, non‑violent tools that actually work.

In a month devoted to love, the least we can do is promise that no child’s experience of “love” will include being hit.

APPRECIATION WEEK

And since we’re talking about love in action, February is also a big month in Island schools. Across P.E.I., Home and School Associations are getting ready for Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week, February 8–14, 2026. Families, students, and communities will be saying thank you to the educators who spark a love of learning, and to the educational assistants, custodians, bus drivers, administrative assistants, and administrators who keep schools caring, safe, and welcoming every day. A simple note, a shared meal, or a kind word in the hallway can go a long way in showing staff that their work matters.

Home and School presidents are also busy preparing their Annual Reports, due Feb. 28 for inclusion in the 73rd annual Book of Reports. These reports cover school‑year activities from September through June and help capture the story of what home and school partnerships look like across the Island. For ideas and examples, you can read last year’s Book of Reports 2025 at https://www.peihsf.ca/agm  or call the federation office for support.

AGM IN APRIL

Looking ahead, mark your calendar for the P.E.I. Home and School Federation’s Annual General Meeting on April 18, 2026, at the Rodd Charlottetown hotel. Delegates from across the Island will gather to share ideas and make decisions that shape positive changes in our school system.

AGM registration packages will be mailed to presidents in February, and more details will be posted at https://www.peihsf.ca/agm. Home and Schools are invited to attend the AGM, with each Association designating 5 as its voting delegates.

This is also a good time to think about that “quiet hero” in your school community. Every school has someone who can always be counted on to organize an event, help out in a pinch, lead a fundraiser, or bring people together. Nominations are open for the Home and School Volunteer of the Year Award, with a deadline of March 6.  More at peihsf.ca/awards.

And, of course, Pink Shirt Day is coming up on Feb. 25. This year’s Pink Shirt Day design shows a child sharing an umbrella with friends as hearts fall like rain from the sky, paired with the reminder to “sprinkle kindness.” It’s a serious reminder that kindness grows when we share it, especially with children. In the classroom, on the playground, in legislation, and at home, the kids are counting on us.

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David Schult, president of the P.E.I. Home and School Federation, lives in Charlottetown with his wife and two children, who attend UP.E.I. and Colonel Gray Senior High School. For more information, go to www.peihsf.ca or call 902-620-3186.