When the writ dropped for the 2007 Ontario election, funding faith-based schools — a proposal by Conservative Leader John Tory — suddenly become one of the province's most contested issues.
The reality, though, is that Canada's political leaders have hemmed and hawed over ways to accommodate the country's diverse faiths in the school system since the days of Confederation.
The solution then was to fund two separate school boards, one Catholic and one Protestant — essentially to represent the English and French fact of the day — and the decision was enshrined in the British North America Act of 1867.
However, as Canada became increasingly diverse through successive waves of immigration, provinces devised their own unique methods for handling the place of religion in the education system. Some education ministries have allocated partial funding to faith-based schools, two pay the full tab for some of their religious schools, while others have moved to an entirely secular, public system.
Faith-based school funding at a glance
B.C.: Partial funding.
Alberta: Full funding to faith-based and charter public school boards, and 60 per cent funding to private schools delivering provincial curriculum.
Saskatchewan: Full funding to historical high schools and schools associated with school districts; partial for others.
Manitoba: Fifty per cent of the funding provided public schools for operating costs if they comply
with provincial standards.
Ontario: Full funding for the Catholic board only.
Quebec: Partial funding to established religious schools that follow the Quebec curriculum.
New Brunswick: No funding.
Nova Scotia: No funding.
P.E.I.: No funding.
Newfoundland and Labrador: No funding.
<a href="http://www.cbc.ca/ontariovotes2007/features/features-faith.html">Full Story
Should faith-based schools be publicly funded. Why or why not?
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The reality, though, is that Canada's political leaders have hemmed and hawed over ways to accommodate the country's diverse faiths in the school system since the days of Confederation.
The solution then was to fund two separate school boards, one Catholic and one Protestant — essentially to represent the English and French fact of the day — and the decision was enshrined in the British North America Act of 1867.
However, as Canada became increasingly diverse through successive waves of immigration, provinces devised their own unique methods for handling the place of religion in the education system. Some education ministries have allocated partial funding to faith-based schools, two pay the full tab for some of their religious schools, while others have moved to an entirely secular, public system.
Faith-based school funding at a glance
B.C.: Partial funding.
Alberta: Full funding to faith-based and charter public school boards, and 60 per cent funding to private schools delivering provincial curriculum.
Saskatchewan: Full funding to historical high schools and schools associated with school districts; partial for others.
Manitoba: Fifty per cent of the funding provided public schools for operating costs if they comply
with provincial standards.
Ontario: Full funding for the Catholic board only.
Quebec: Partial funding to established religious schools that follow the Quebec curriculum.
New Brunswick: No funding.
Nova Scotia: No funding.
P.E.I.: No funding.
Newfoundland and Labrador: No funding.
<a href="http://www.cbc.ca/ontariovotes2007/features/features-faith.html">Full Story
Should faith-based schools be publicly funded. Why or why not?
More...
