Quebec and all provinces west of Ontario manage to provide funding for faith-based education, with no crisis and no rulings of discrimination by the UN. Quebec provides approximately 60% funding for all faiths’ schools. This is fair since the general curriculum only is funded while encouraging parents to send kids to fully funded public schools.

You ask how we would determine which faiths to fund – the same we determine which faiths get tax receipts for dues and donations! Only faiths which are on the federal government registry of recognized faiths (Wicket is newly added, Satanism is absent) should qualify.

If all of the large provinces, excluding Ontario, manage to partially fund all faiths’ schools in a reasonable manner, why can’t we? Why is it acceptable for one third of Ontario’s public students to attend Catholic schools, when only the elementary grades are Constitutionally guarranteed, while all other communities must pay education taxes AND fund their schools.

The Jewish community has been asking these questions for over 40 years. The common answer is that the Catholics should lose their funding (still no political will in that department) or that this is the way it’s been for 150 years so that’s “history”.

Sorry, I don’t buy it! Associated Hebrew Schools opened its first branch in 1907 and is celebrating its 100th anniversary with no funding (100 or 150 years is not so significant!) Jewish communities all over the world have historically managed their own schools which are well regarded.

Education taxes are supposed to be about education. So long as a great education is provided and any government guidelines are met all schools should be funded. (Guidelines could include instruction in other religions, open enrolment, interactive programming with other schools, etc)

All your suggestions are wonderful, including religious clubs and programming in public schools. These ideas, though, should not replace the funding of faith-based schools which are a completely separate concept and entity. After all, all those kids in arts-based schools could attend their local public schools where there is instruction in the arts, albeit for fewer hours!

I respect choices as well, I just don’t support the idea of paying for two different school systems when funding two leaves one or both struggling for adequate funding, and having to slash programmes because there isn’t enough money to go around.

One public board means fewer bureaucratic positions over all and no discrimination because there is equal access to the same basic education, with programmes that address the academic needs of students who need a challenge or those who need help.

Ok… I’ll humour you.

Let’s say for a moment that we really did allow for faith-based schools to exist, how would the funding be determined? What would make one faith deserving of funding while another not? And what of students who want to go to the same high school as friends but can’t because of certain barriers?

And in those faith-based schools, lets say a student being sent doesn’t believe in that horse manure but his/her parents do and tp them, its important to send the child to this school rather to one that reflects the child’s beliefs, would they be obligated to pray when prayer is done, or would they be forced, trumping their rights to abstain?

With an exclusively secular system where no religion is involved, students would be free to have their own religious clubs, being free to believe as they will, with their religious education coming from the most important place, through their relationship with their spiritual side and any guidance received from someone their share a close bond with.

Since McGuinty is not willing to even discuss eliminating funding for Catholic schools we must address the issue of equity. The UN Human Rights committee has ruled twice that Ontario is discriminating against non-Catholic communities, putting Canada in violation of international laws we signed.

As we both agreed, you might not want to send your kids to faith-based schools BUT I would expect you to respect those who do. I respect all choices in education so long as the general curriculum is taught and standards are high… shouldn’t you?

That’s why I’m in favour of not funding any school that has a religious focus. A school with a secular focus, ie: sports, arts, language to me is a better choice. It’s still focused but it doesn’t focus on religion, which to is good for academic choice.

To me religion is entirely a personal choice and should be between the person, their ‘god’ as applies. It shouldn’t be publicly funded. If people want private schools that focus on religion then it’s their choice.

However, if students wish to form a club that has a religious focus in the school, they should be able to. The high school I went to allowed for these clubs to exist. It gave religious students a chance to meet together and discuss their religion and spirituality.

The reality is that the first schools were all faith-based and developed by religous communities. Almost all of Canada’s schools were considered faith-based (mostly Protestant and Catholic) until the 1970′s. I think it is generally accepted that most parents would no longer choose faith-based education for their children – but deny public funding for those who do seems extreme. Especially since Ontario fully funds one-third of its students in Catholic faith-based schools. Especially since Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and BC subsidize faith-based education.

This is about School Choice – either interest groups are all funded or none should be funded.

It has not been proven that schools which focus on particular religions or cultures produce less valuable members of society – quite the opposite. The Fraser Institute has demonstrated that schools which have a focus – be it arts, sports, language or culture – have students and family members committed to the school’s success. Successful schools have successful students!