Ontario education minister scolds school over Arabic O Canada broadcast

Ontario’s education minister has condemned a Toronto high school for broadcasting O Canada in Arabic on the second anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel.

Source: ACO Toronto

Ontario’s education minister has condemned a Toronto high school for broadcasting O Canada in Arabic on the second anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel, warning that disciplinary action could follow.

The broadcast at Earl Haig Secondary School—confirmed earlier this week by a staff member who spoke to True North—has now drawn sharp criticism from Education Minister Paul Calandra, who said he will act if school boards “choose not to respect our national symbols and federal legislation.”

“It is hard to believe that no one recognized the significance of this day,” Calandra wrote in his statement. “School boards should be focused on creating safe learning environments for all students, never at the expense of one community over another.”

The minister cited the National Anthem Act, which stipulates that the official lyrics of “O Canada” are available in both English and French. “If school boards choose not to respect our national symbols and federal legislation,” he said, “then I will take action.”

A source at Earl Haig told True North that the Arabic version came from a CD containing multiple recordings of O Canada in several languages—including English, French, Métis, Farsi, and Arabic—and was selected by students that morning. The principal reportedly apologized to Jewish students and staff later that day, calling the decision “an oversight.”

The Toronto District School Board has since confirmed that it has instructed all schools to play O Canada only in English, French, or instrumental versions. The board’s spokesperson told the National Post that officials are still “working to determine what occurred.”

Earl Haig, a school of about 2,000 students near Yonge and Sheppard, includes roughly 100 Jewish students and a large Iranian and East Asian population.

For many families, the controversy has reignited questions about judgment and sensitivity in Ontario’s education system. What began as a morning broadcast has now become a province-wide discussion on symbolism, timing, and the need for schools to balance diversity with national unity.