None of your business

Some news out of Nova Scotia-

HALIFAX—A teachers' union has cautioned its members not to fill out a survey being distributed by the Halifax school board that asks their sexual orientation, warning the sensitive information might not be protected.

The Nova Scotia Teachers Union said the roughly 8,000 teachers and other staff receiving the one-page questionnaire with their pay stubs today should consider leaving several sections blank.

While the union can't offer direct advice about filling out the survey, spokesman Grant MacLean warned of the risks in completing sections that ask respondents to identify themselves as homosexual, bisexual or heterosexual, and then list their name and employee number.

"We are not advising teachers to complete those sections," he said.

"Teachers are very, very concerned about the protection of their privacy. They're wondering why the board needs to know this information and how is it important to my job as a teacher. It's not important."

The "workforce identification survey," thought to be unique in the country, also asks recipients whether they are disabled, a "racially visible person" or an aboriginal.

MacLean said several teachers have indicated they won't complete the document, citing fears the information could be used against them in light of a recent human rights commission decision that found the board discriminated against a gay physical education teacher.

One gay teacher said he would leave the bulk of the survey blank and angrily criticized school administrators for not giving employees the opportunity to fill it out anonymously.

"This doesn't respect people's choice to be private," said the Halifax teacher who preferred not to reveal his name, adding that several colleagues said they would not complete the form.

"This is personal information that does not need to be disclosed."

The Halifax Regional School Board defended the move, saying officials are merely trying to get a better picture of the diverse groups that make up the workforce and to create an accurate, up-to-date staff database.

Board superintendent Carole Olsen said the information, which is gathered voluntarily, will be kept confidential and used to develop ways to recruit demographic groups that are not well represented in the schools.

It doesn't matter if it will be kept confidential, what the hell are you asking this for in the first place? Diversity doesn't affect whether you're a good school teacher or not. Plus what someone does in the bedroom is no one's business.

Call Carole Olsen and the Halifax Regional School Board today's Cannuckleheads of the day.

Hat tip- Joanne Jacobs
Open Post- TMH's Bacon Bits, Stuck on Stupid,