At their annual meeting today in Huntsville, Ontario's public school boards are scheduled to debate and vote on a resolution to cut off public funding for Catholic schools.
Actually, the resolution, put forward by several boards, calls for "one publicly funded school board system in the province for each of Canada's official languages." But if implemented, it would mean the end of funding for Catholic boards.
While this is music to my ears and represents re-creating a practical and fair school system in Ontario, the government plans in ignoring the resolution if it indeed does pass.
Furthermore, the Tory platform, which is slated to come out later this month, is rumoured to include further funding for other faith-based schools.
The unfair funding of Ontario's school system has been condemned by the United Nations and smacks in the face of Canada's supposed multiculturalism. Furthermore, the separation of church and state, which is a long-established political doctrine, is being violated. We need to wake-up and address this issue. A publicly funded, single, unified, and secular education system is the best thing for Ontario's schools and its children. The segregation that currently takes place, and that could very well be heightened, must come to an end.
2 comments:
The government has no choice but to ignore it, since the Catholic boards are guaranteed funding under the 1867 Constitution (to grade 10 I think).
The only option would be to request a constitutional amendment similar to NL and QC when they abolished theirs.
You seem to have contradicted yourself Mark. On one hand, you say that the Ontario government doesn't have a choice, but on the other hand you say that they can request a constitutional ammendment (which in all likelihood would be granted).
Of course, this means that the Ontario government does have a choice. They can put this in motion and request said ammendment. As far as I see it, they really only have one choice. and abolishing funding is it.
However, electorally speaking, this is an issue that no one really wants to address, and thus explains their choice not to address the issue.
Post a Comment