Well, I think parents can absolutely pull their kids out of public school if they disagree with the curriculum being taught, or masking or whatever. I never said otherwise. My point is they do not have the right to dictate their provincial religious beliefs in that public space or ban anti racist teaching because they think it violates their faith or beliefs or whatever.

Their option is indeed to homeschool or find a private school that caters to their needs. The state has the right (i.e. the public does) to expect certain things to be taught for the sake of public pluralism, or masks for public safety in time of pandemic.

Yes, the state can go terribly wrong, in any number of directions, of course. But that doesn’t mean that the public good as a concept shouldn’t guide what public schools do. Likewise, it doesn’t enjoin me or others from noting that children are free moral agents who shouldn’t be kept in the dar like mushrooms and fed manure just because the parents think they have a right to do that.

Thanks for weighing in. And seriously, you’re never pleased with my conclusions? Gosh, I thought I was a pretty reasonable fellow given the subject matter I normally tackle!