After more than a year without the national anthem, students at Belleisle Elementary School in New Brunswick will begin singing O Canada every morning again, CTV News reported Feb. 1.
Belleisle Elementary’s principal Erik Millett stopped playing the anthem in fall 2007 after he received complaints from some parents who objected to the religious reference in the line, “God keep our land glorious and free.”
School district superintendent Zoë Watson said she decided to reinstate the anthem after people from across the country contacted her to disagree with Millett’s decision.
It’s disappointing that those without direct connection to the school are reversing what was an appropriate response by Millett to parents’ requests.
There are alternatives to cancelling the anthem, such as playing an instrumental version or making it optional for students to stand and sing along, but the anthem still contains language that may be uncomfortable for some.
Although Millett’s decision has raised a chorus of debate about Canadian national identity, it’s unlikely a song will divide or unite this country.
But the implications of having an anthem deserve further attention.
For many students, the anthem is simply part of a boring morning routine. To make it more relevant, schools should consider playing the anthem selectively, such as at sporting events, where it will serve its purpose of evoking community pride.
Although an anthem is an important symbol of having a common identity, it’s necessary to question the image it projects.
If the anthem continues to be played in schools, educators should teach children about the country’s history from an early age and allow them to decide for themselves whether the anthem is an appropriate expression of their Canadian identity.
It’s unfair to force a brand of nationalism on children—one that’s largely constructed from one interpretation of Canadian history—when they’re too young to critically assess it.
It’s surprising the debate has, thus far, been limited to the anthem’s religious connotations when it contains other problematic phrases.
Lines such as “home and native land” conceal Canada’s colonial legacy, which would be more represented by singing “home on native land.”
It’s careless to sing an anthem’s praises before considering what type of image it sends the world about Canada’s national identity.
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