-RRH-

Any info on school prayer in Canada?

Likewise with funding of Catholic schools.

[ July 17, 2002: Message edited by: RRH ]</p>

never been there

Hi, RRH.

If you're actually in Winnipeg, I'm sure the library is the place to start with the necessary background on funding.

I assume Catholic schools include prayer. Gov't funding started only because the 'public' schools were in effect C of E schools (Methodists started their own schools as a result). As gov't started directly funding schools it became politically necessary to include everyone (well, all Europeans) in the deal, and to balance things out, the money was to be shared fairly. In writing this turns out to say the Catholic schools outside Quebec and Protestant schools inside Quebec are guaranteed treatment equal to the majority's schools.

It's in the constitution, so it's tough to change unless there is a clear social consensus for it, including the minority in question. Newfoundland and Quebec have both done away with confessional schools by constitutional amendment.

There isn't really any official policy on prayer in non-Catholic schools. It would be pretty surprising in a city school, it wouldn't be stood for (haha) but my sweetiedarling is from a small Mennonite town and I'm sure they still do it in her old school, and the few potential objectors would prefer not to antagonize all their neighbours.

Does that serve your purpose for Introduction to Canadian Constitutional History?

scrumpy

In 1988 the Ontario Court of Appeal in Zylberberg v. Sudbury Board of Education (Director) held that Regulation 262, section 28(1) of the Education Act (as follows):


" 28(1) A public school shall be opened or closed each school day with religious exercises consisting of the reading of the Scriptures or other suitable readings and the repeating of the 'Lord's Prayer' or other suitable prayers."


infringed the right to freedom of religion as guaranteed by s. 2(a) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, thereby precluding religious exercises in public schools in Ontario.

As a practical matter, I don't recall ever opening or closing the school day with religious exercises during my primary and secondary public school years (1962-1974).


My son attends a Catholic secondary school and each day is started with prayer and mass is held every 2 weeks (he spends the time worrying that the priest's sleeves are going to be set on fire by the surrounding candles).

See the following for a summary of recent Supreme Court of Canada cases regarding the issue of funding (in Alberta and Ontario):


<a href="http://www.capsle.com/newsletter/current.html" target="_blank">Capsle Newsletter</a>

[ July 18, 2002: Message edited by: scrumpy ]</p>

-RRH-

I talked to some administrators in Manitoba, and apparently a school board can have school-led religious observances if a petition is signed by the parents of 75% of the student body, or the parents of 60 students, whichever is lower.

Do the other provinces have a similar approach?