City
Accepting Jesus Into Public School
Most Ontarians support merging the public and Catholic school systems. Commissioned by the CBC, Oraclepoll Research randomly phoned 600 Ontario adults last May and 58% supported a merger. Be that as it may, a merging of the two publicly funded school systems isn't going to happen anytime soon. Although, it does offer an interesting thought experiment. If it did happen, I'd look very carefully at the conditions for such a merger.
Would Catholicism simply have to look elsewhere for funding. The Vatican perhaps? Or would Christianity be swept into a single "world religions" class? This would be my ideal solution. A more inclusive approach to religion, within one public school system, would encourage tolerance and understanding and not only between different religious groups, but between atheists and their quirky religious pals.
The conservative party's current platform states that the party is "committed to creating an opportunity for non-Catholic, faith-based schools to choose to join our publicly funded education system the same way Catholic schools have already done" and providing direct funding for those schools. The same way Catholic schools have already done? Providing public money for people to pursue their own religious ideas, offers nothing to the public that is footing the bill. It is funding a divisive society, ignorant and afraid of the beliefs of it's different members. If taxpayers are paying for religious study, their children should have access to those religious findings.
An education in the multitude of religious beliefs in this country would further stress that these ideas are only "beliefs" and not worth getting in a tizzy over. Perhaps then, we could all hold hands and accept the one true doctrine - Science, into our hearts.
*Illustration provided by Todd Julie
Discussion
23 Comments
Sort By Oldest First / Newest First
Subscribe
Should we also fund a parallel Wiccan system? Or Sikh? Shall I continue? To argue for a continuation of the Catholic public school system is akin to arguing for segregation based upon favorite colours. I like green, btw. Go Trees!
As Sam Harris maintains, perhaps we should introduce classes on astrology, and greek mythology, that treat them with the same deference we allow Catholics. Cuz Leos are, like, real risk takers. And virgos are, like, quitters.
The fact is that until religion is treated as every other aspect of our society, and subjected to evidence based reasoning, we will continue to allow our zealots to claim to know the thoughts of 'the creator', and as such those thoughts might be viewed as beyond reproach, which they are not.
God speaks to me too, and he says we should stop listening to those who argue on his behalf. Really. I saw the light. Now take your shirt off. And your bra.
Basically, we don't stand in a classroom teaching students how to read the Bible. Students take 4 religion courses in their entire study at the Board--Grade 9: analysis and interpreting the Gospels and an insight into morality and ethics, Grade 10: morality and the law, where students create their own belief systems and opinions about many various issues surrounding morality and the ethics (no reference is made to religious texts), Grade 11: World Religions, where students learn about and interpret various texts of the major religions around the world, Grade 12: Philosophy, split into two parts of existence and existentialism, and religion, where students are urged to question every aspect of their religion and the methodology behind religion. The curriculum has been structured by the Board to create greater understanding of morality and ethic, not Catholic faith. Outside of the curriculum, there are other opportunities for students involving this aspect, including Chaplaincy.
The biggest note about this is that the Catholic school boards of Ontario consist of more than 40% of students in the Ontario public system, 2% of whom are enrolled in French Catholic schools.
I think perhaps it would be a better name if the TCDSB was still considered the Separate school board, partly because we do not limit school admission to Catholic students.
"It is funding a divisive society, ignorant and afraid of the beliefs of it's different members"
This statement is absurd. In a Catholic school I learned about accepting other religions and tolerance.
"Perhaps then, we could all hold hands and accept the one true doctrine - Science, into our hearts."
To take science as a system of beliefs is just a bad idea. Science provides rational explanation and theory which is used to improve our lives, but ultimately creates an infinite number of new questions and problems. It is limited to human perception, bias. Scientific fact will change with time and place. Read into epistemology.
A lot of people say Catholic education is better because of school ethos etc. That's not a good thing about catholicism (and I speak as a Catholic educated person) it's a bad thing about -some- public schools and we have to fix that.
The reported court case that non-Catholic parents are suing to have their religious schools granted Ontario funding for disability education on grounds of discriminating towards one religion could blow this wide open but it will take a constitutional amendment (as has been done in other provinces like QC) to remove the obligation on Ontario to fund the catholic system.
Merging the 2 Boards is not going to help. In reality, it is almost a Mike Harris approach. You remember those days...and it will be much worse if this happen. You'll see many schools closing, teachers laid off, students different faiths/beliefs clashing, parents upset that now closed neighbourhood school is oing to be a Wal-Mart etc etc
Every Separate school board in Ontario does not limit school admission to Catholic students. I went to a Catholic HS where there was Jews, Mormons, Atheist, those who wanted to go to a CHS instead of a Public one, and many others who felt that a Separate School would offer a better place for ethic and moral teachings into students daily lives. That is something the public schools struggle with, some worse then others, and in reality should be where these people should be focusing instead of bringing back the Mike the Knife attitude.
"I went to a Catholic HS where there was Jews, Mormons, Atheist, those who wanted to go to a CHS instead of a Public one, and many others who felt that a Separate School would offer a better place for ethic and moral teachings into students daily lives."
That sentence is an indictment of the quality of education received, methinks.
Mark, the Catholic/Separte ones do offer a differance in terms of the moral and ethical teachings, something the Public system is having trouble with day in and day out. The Catholic board HAS TO follow the Ont. Gov't Ontario Curriculum. The same will happen if public funding is extended to other reglious schools.
Plese remember: all parents pay education taxes. Why should only Catholic parents get their taxes applied to their children's education?
John Tory's proposal is to include other faiths in the public school system. This solve the issues of fairness and accountability. Isn't it in Ontario's best interest to ensure as many children as possible are involved in our public education system and are following the Ontario curriculum?
The suggestion that public schools promotes tolerance is one of the worst myths the system perpertrates. Where is the evidence? Where are the studies? This kinda of statement is not only didactic, it is utopian and far removed from lived experience. I was raised in a minority Christian religion in a public school dominated by non-Catholic Christians, and was constantly bullied and attacked for my faith-based conscious decisions, the difference of which to that of the other students and TEACHERS faith were so ridiculously miniscule. While my example is merely anecdotely, I know my experience is not a solitary one. Oh, and little Johnny atheist, can be just as much as a bully as any kid from a faith-based background (having been suckerpunched in the face while a kid screams "Where's your God now, huh?" kinda deflates the fuzzy warm atheist stereotype for me). (don't feel sorry for me, i got over all that when i was 29 :) )
In fact, my parents considered at one point to pull me out of the public school system and put me in Catholic school where the academic standards were higher and the tolerance policies more evident and clearly spelled out. Having a moral or ethical backbone that it is wrong to attack, physically or verbally, people of other faiths, creeds, skin colours, etc. and to truly have respect for others different from you by making personal investigations into other people's lives, not just tolerating them, and adhereing to those standards is what prevents "a divisive society, ignorant and afraid of the beliefs of it's different members"--not just taking funding away from one group and pooling it into another.
Oh, and 58% of the people are not most, but will let that slide and assume it's because you are an artie and not because the public school system failed you. ;)
your experience is exactly why we need one public system. If people are told - go to the catholic school and they will protect you, well they can do that but what does that do for the public system? nothing. The public system needs root and branch reform and improvement and providing a denominated outlet valve is not going to change anything.
Meanwhile I see on CBC.ca and the Star there are interesting events going on at C W Jeffreys. The Star has previously highlighted local schools that are going to hell in a handcart but the local elected trustee doesn't know jack about it or at least claim they don't. Maybe it's time to abolish elected trustees and make it a city commission like TTC - could it be worse?
<p>We did have a religion credit in the Catholic system in Grade 9 ie the credit that teaches Catholic doctrine and beliefs, and I'm pretty sure this is a credit that non-Catholic students in the system can opt out of. We also had an elective World Religions credit that fulfilled the 'senior social sciences' credit for the high school diploma then. I should add the course also explored the ideas of atheism, humanism and agnosticism, which I'm sure many people didn't think 'could' be discussed in a Catholic school! If a Catholic school like mine freely allowed the teaching of other beliefs as part of the curriculum, then why can't such a course be just as successful in the public school board? Not all persons of faith are automatically intolerant and ignorant due to their beliefs, nor would their schools automatically foster intolerance just because they are faith-based. (That would be called a stereotype, would it not?)</p>
<p>If they are considering citizenship courses in high school to encourage students to be civic-minded, why not give students more opportunities in the curriculum to learn to be more tolerant by learning about faiths and beliefs of their neighbours? As long as the intent is education and raising awareness, not indoctrination, I can't see how there could be a problem in incorporating such courses as part of the public school curriculum. The board may be secular in nature, but many of its students are not.</p>
<p>Maybe the constitutional angle may have created a perception of entitlement because separate school adherents seem to have privileges not extended to other faith-based schools. If we were to have only one, public school system for all in the future, then we need to ensure that all faiths in that system (including Catholics - assuming there would be only one school system) have equal opportunity to exercise their freedom to practise what they have a right under the Charter to believe. That would truly be a "public" school system because it would also be multi-faith, reflecting the population it serves. If it is handled objectively, a future public school board can be inclusive of all faiths without being perceived as a board that is exclusive of religion.</p>