Student Exchange Programs

I was just glancing through a couple of pages of questions on here, and came across one about the Pledge of Allegiance in the US.

This got me to thinking about something that is going on in Canada right now. A school in the Maritimes, has decided to cancel the playing of the National Anthem, O’ Canada, at the beginning of opening exercises each morning. Now the school is trying to keep the reasoning hush hush, hinting toward a couple parents who complained about their children having to listen. And there is also speculation that the Principal, who ran for the Green Party in the last election, has political motives having to do with the War in the Middle East….
After hearing that on the news, that got me to thinking about high school, which was round abouts a decade ago for me. The high school I went to had an excellent English As a Second Language program, and we would get the students who were recent immigrants, or on exchange from various countries. That meant many Muslims, from differing countries, Serbians, Hungarians, Russians, Argentinians, Indians, Saudi Arabians………tons, from all over the world. I noticed that the Muslim girls would step out of the classroom, into the hallway, during the National Anthem. Why is this?
As a teen, I didn’t think about it much. Having my own “terrible high school problems” I didn’t really devote much time to thinking about the wonderful country I was lucky enough to have my ancestors live in for the last several thousand years. Now though, thinking about it, I’m a bit upset. Is there a religious reason they would treat my country with such disrespect? If you come here seeking a better or new life, isn’t some respect due? Or is it merely a cultural thing? Would it have had to do with their home country rather than religion?
Am I wrong to be offended and upset? Canada is a multicultural, diverse country, yes. That is one thing I love. But seeing as how being a Canadian is the only common thing that unites us all, shouldn,t we show this country respect by listening to the National Anthem, proud that we can be a part of something trying to create some good in this world? Same goes for the UK, or whatever country you may happen to be living in.
Thoughts?
Yes, I know it is long and rambling. But the question is in there, I promise. Last paragraph, I believe.
Yes, we dropped the Pledge back when I was in grade school. And we are not required to sing the National Anthem at school, just listen to it play over the PA system. Sometimes the English/French version, most of the time just the instrumental.
This is the first time I have ever heard of a school dropping the Anthem. And right on the heels of all that rubbish to do with the 2010 Olympics too.