Catholic school funding - continued | Page 3

Sun, 2008-11-16 08:31

jfb

I am reading the article put out by the catholic registry with some points to ponder:

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Increasingly, many are beginning to believe this separation
means that no religious arguments should be present in public debate and there
should be no sign of any religion in any public institutions Critics
claim that millions of dollars would be saved by combining Ontario's Catholic and public systems.
However, this fails to recognize that 80 per cent of the cost of education is
absorbed by teachers' salaries, which will remain the same whether there are
one or two systems.

Actually I disagree with the statement or assertion that no religious arguments should be present and suggest that secularism means or professes a space of inclusion rather than separation.

To me it does not mean an absence of but an inclusion of all spiritual thought and belief being equally valued, and discussed openly in a respectful and inclusive environment.

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“We will lose (Catholic school rights) in Ontario if we’re silent,” Alberta Lawyer
Kevin Feehan warned the almost 400 delegates attending the conference sponsored
by the Canadian Catholic School Trustees’ Association here Sept. 26-27.

It is true, it requires political will and it is not etched in the constitution.

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Feehan, who has represented Catholic educational interests
before the Supreme Court of Canada and various provincial and territorial
courts, sounded a hopeful note, however, when he said Catholic education rights
could be regained. They have continued to expand in Ontario,
Saskatchewan, Alberta and the North, he said.

Take note what politics are also expanding in these provinces and areas - interesting parallel.

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“Constitutional rights can be changed politically,” he said,
stressing Catholic education rights are “part of the heart, soul and history of
Canada.”

Once again highlighting the political will. This understanding works on both sides of the debate.

Sun, 2008-11-16 09:01

#103

jfb

I thought I'd find out who kevin Freehan associated with politically - interesting.

Edmonton TownHall with the Hon Stephen Dion (line to Edmonton).

LPCA President George Hodgson, Irene Hodgson, LPCA Executive Director Carole Halko and Election Readiness Co-Chair Kevin Feehan.

Incidently, for interest sake, Kevin is on the executive for both prov and federal liberals.

Our kids live together and play together in their communities, let's have them learn together too!

Sun, 2008-11-16 14:05

#104

Lord Palmerston

I linked this Steve Paikin article earlier, but I'll do so again because it probably got lost in the shuffle:

Quote:
John Tory insisted his plan to publicly fund faith-based schools was motivated by the inherent unfairness of the current education system, which provides Catholics with a publicly funded secular and a publicly funded faith-based system in which to send their children. No other
religions enjoy two such options.

(We know why that anomaly exists. The grand compromise of 1867 ensured that the minority education rights of Protestants in Quebec and Catholics in Ontario would be protected, thus
enabling Confederation to happen).

What Tory didn't realize was that most Ontarians agree with him that the system is unfair. But their preferred method of leveling the playing field would be to de-fund the Catholic system, not give tax dollars to more religious groups.

Which brings us back to McGuinty.

Some of the premier's most eloquent speeches during the 2007 campaign focused on the marvels of the public education system.
"I want a system where the Jewish kids sit beside the Muslim kids, who sit beside the Buddhist kids, who sit beside the Hindu kids," the premier often said with genuine passion.

But the group always missing from the premier's multicultural list were Catholics - merely 30 per cent of the province's students - who are hived off in their own schools.

McGuinty is a smart man. Most of the time, he has demonstrated considerable compassion in his job. In fact, he has said if we were going to design a school system from scratch today, we would certainly not design what we currently have.

So, he surely must be aware of the intellectual inconsistency of his position. He certainly was a few years ago, when he acknowledged he was open to resolving the faith-based conundrum, but only after he had improved the public school system first.

look the other way

"How do people justify the current unfairness," I asked a Catholic school teacher during the campaign.

"We don't," the teacher said. "We just look the other way and change the subject."

http://www.onessn.org/Nov7-07-1.pdf

Maybe the day the Liberals and Tories come on board, the NDP will be open to ending funding for Catholic schools.

Sun, 2008-11-16 21:14

#105

peterjcassidy peterjcassidy's picture

unionist wrote:

I'm tired of this, Wilf. Separation of church and state is not some backward U.S. phenomenon. Most of the world (except the odd theocracy) has figured this out. So has most of Canada. You can try to hold the wheel of history back in Ontario by pretending that society is still characterized by Orange anti-papistry, but at some point, people will have a look at the calendar and realize what century they're living in.

People need solidarity, not segregation. Let them believe and practise what they like. But let them know that society does not favour one religion over the others and over atheism. Let them know that people of different faiths can be healed in the same hospital wards and sit in the same classrooms. Is that too much to ask?

Unionist. As I posted an article in repsonse:

General conclusions

The belief that Canada enjoys
an American-style “separation of church and state” is widespread.
However, constitutionally
and legally this is not true.
One consequence of this pervasive
belief is the refusal to deal with religious diversity in public policy
decisions.
An emerging “closed” secularism
has the potential to promote intolerance and discrimination, especially
against members of religious minority groups.

----------------------------------------------------------II

I do not hink you are intolerant , but think you are wrong in fact and law and ask you to cosider that your "secularism" may be misplaced., .

Sun, 2008-11-16 21:20

#106

jfb

Thus we need to guard against that closed kind of secularism, by promoting public institutions that encourage diversity, respect difference, are inclusive, and encourage diagogue across difference. This about creating an enclusive space in education.

Our kids live together and play together in their communities, let's have them learn together too!

Mon, 2008-11-17 07:30

#107

Michelle

Longity long. Feel free to start a new one. It's nice to see a thread that has remained on topic!

Catholic school funding - continued

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