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- PETITION To The Board of School Trustees of the City of Victoria, British Columbia. The Undersigned, rate payers, Property Owners, and voters for the various reasons stated hereunder, beg to petition the Board of School Trustees of the
City of Victoria, to cancel the Segregation Policy as inaugurated by certain Resolutions passed by the Board of School Trustees, between June and October 1922. The Policy would seem to affect Chinese children only, but as there have apparently, been no complaints from any body of the Teaching Stiff oh. the system that was in effect daring the past many years of mixed education your petitioners do not consider that there should be any disturbance of the school children which would ensue from such changes as the Segregation Policy must call for.
Our reasons are as follows:
I. he total enrollment of all children exceeds 61000 of them only 240 are Chinese children
2 Of the 240 Chinese children about 90 were already in a Segregated school at Rock Bay under the old system, so that only about 150 children are mixed with nearly 60000 white children*
3. We are informed -and verily believe that 85% of the Chinese children are Canadian born, and many of them are children of parents who themselves are Canadian born, and are therefore Canadian subjects and, as such they should, in accordance with the fundamental principles of building up the Canadian Nations be given every opportunity to learn Canadian Customs and Language,' and this can best be done by intermingling*
4. Of the remaining 15%, the majority have already been segregated at the Rock Bay school, and although for many centuries it has been an international custom to extend the co test' of educational facilities, we understand that the parents of these 15% non Canadian subjects children are residents in Canada and contribute in taxation to the City.
5.The Chinese Citizens of the City of Victoria, we are informed, contribute some $100,000 a year to the Revenue of the City in various forms of taxation, and of this, about $26,000 are in school tax, We understand that the cost of educating the 240 Chinese children is only about $13,6500
6.The only "Melting Pot" under which Assimilation can be fostered and Canadian customs and Ideals learnt is through the Public Schools and we believe that the Segregation of any particular race defeats that object.
The Principle of Segregation is contrary to all British Ideals of Justice and .Pair Play and if persisted in must eventually result in a good deal of injury to Canada.
These are some of the many reasons which your petitioners have against the Principle of Segregation and we hereby pray that the Board will rescind all Resolutions which have for its purpose the adoption of a system of Segregation and we further pray that the School Board revert to the system in vogue in 1921 and previous years
We have the honor to be, sirs,
Your Petitioners.
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