It's getting to the point that when I read things about those who challenge Catholic school boards on the instruments of how they administer faith-based schools, I don't know whether to laugh or cry.
Witness today's article in the Globe by Katie Hammer on Ontario Catholic boards forcing their students to take religious education credits as part of their high school studies. This in a world where high schools are open to all, regardless of whether they're part of a publicly funded Catholic school board or a public school board. There are no restrictions on enrolment in Catholic secondary schools, unlike for elementary schools in many boards that still require the child and/or one or both parents to be baptized Catholics.
The number of requests has increased since the court decision earlier this year that allowed a non-Catholic student to opt out of religious education courses at the Catholic high school he attends. As the Globe explains today, boards are turning down exemption requests from those students whose parents have (on their property tax forms) declared themselves to be Catholic school supporters. This was a distinction that mattered more when school boards set tax rates in each municipality -- today, it matters not a lick other than in principle since the education portion of a property tax bill is sent to the province and then doled out by the ministry.
Let's set something straight. Catholic high school religious education courses are not four years of Bible study. I could stand to be corrected since it's been 18 years since I had personal knowledge of this, but religion credits in Grade 9/10 may continue to be mostly Bible/Catholicity based. Back in the day, the Grade 11 credit was a world religions course (social sciences credit) and the Grade 12 credit was a "man and society" course. Our OAC course was a half-credit, most of which was volunteer hours that have since been replaced by the diploma requirements for the same service.
The Grade 11/12 credits are ones available to any student studying in Ontario at any high school. Catholic boards, as a measure of showing how they continue to instruct their students in matters of faith, make the two senior-level credits mandatory. The requests for exemptions in senior grades are not to be exempted from sitting down and rote-learning the Bible, chapter and verse.
For a system trying to defend itself against being dissolved, the response to requests for exemption is a pretty smart move by the Catholic boards. Your guess is as good as mine on whether it will succeed.
The boards are simply pointing out the contradictions in intent-- as a parent and taxpayer, making the conscious choice to declare oneself as a Catholic school supporter but then turning around and saying you do not want that same school system to continue to instruct your child(ren) in the very faith you've declared yourself to be. If Catholics supporting Catholic school boards stop wanting their schools to teach their kids about faith all the way to graduation, then the only valid reason for a faith-based publicly funded school system in Ontario begins to evaporate.
For the non-Catholics who attend Catholic high schools, I can't say I've understood how the earlier court case was successful either, but that's another post.
We can't keep asking the Catholic school system to change its faith to suit our changing mores and understanding of who should be able to do (or not do) what within those schools. As long as we keep supporting the full funding of a faith-based system, it's ridiculous to keep asking that system to stop instructing its students in its faith under certain circumstances.
Parents who send their kids to Catholic schools for whatever reasons who don't like the faith-based elements of what's in that school always have an easy choice -- pull your kids from the school and register them in public schools.
As for the rest of us, if we're really that uncomfortable with what a faith-based school system looks like, then work to stop funding it and work towards the establishment of a single publicly funded school system.
Don't keep asking the leopard to change its spots.
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
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8 comments:
“We can't keep asking the Catholic school system to change its faith to suit our changing mores and understanding of who should be able to do (or not do) what within those schools.”
What an absolute piece of dreck! Of course we can ask the antiquated Church to alter its archaic beliefs if they run counter to modern, secular thinking! In fact, because it’s a publicly funded institution, we should demand it meets fundamental tenets of Canadian society.
Let me guess, you’d support their stance on SSM? How about LGBTQ clubs? Does that meet our current “mores”? It’s this kind of moral relativism that allows these bigoted, archaic institutions to exist in the 21st century.
Where you do have a point, however, is that parents and students do have a legitimate alternative to RC schooling. If they reject the dogma or pedagogy, then they do need to find a public school for their education and not chastise the Church for its backward approach to education.
Of course, the real solution would be quash the separate board entirely and have ONE publicly funded, secular education system. Politically, there’s no will, but demographics may force the province’s hand sooner or later.
Anon 13 Aug. 9:42--
You've made an assumption that's unfounded about where I've come from with that thought.
I don't support the church's stance on many issues. That's why I don't attend church and I when/if I have children, I won't register them in Catholic schools. What I'm not going to do is register my kids in Catholic schools and then get all angry when the church's (and hence the school board's) stances on social and moral issues disagrees with mine.
The faith-based elements of the boards are based on church dogma. If the church isn't changing/adapting to match where we've headed as a society, it's silly to continue to expect the school boards' positions on these questions to change. It's also silly to expect faith-based school boards to break with their churches on these questions.
Buyer beware, honestly. You register your kid in Catholic school, they get religious education based on the Catholic faith. If you don't want that, then register your kids elsewhere.
If as a society we're not comfortable with it, then work to create a single publicly funded system.
Hugo
“You've made an assumption that's unfounded about where I've come from with that thought.”
Nah. It was based clearly on what you wrote.
“The faith-based elements of the boards are based on church dogma. If the church isn't changing/adapting to match where we've headed as a society, it's silly to continue to expect the school boards' positions on these questions to change. It's also silly to expect faith-based school boards to break with their churches on these questions.”
Wrongo. It’s not “silly” to expect an archaic, backwards institution to reflect Canadian values – especially if it’s state-funded. If it was up to apologists like you, medieval Church-made law would rule the land, LGBTQs would be persecuted, SSM would be illegal and women wouldn’t have the right to decide what do with their own bodies. I don’t consider the secular strides this nation and the Charter have made to be “silly”.
I fully support anyone’s individual right to believe whatever nonsensical mush they want, but when it’s publicly subsidized, it’s left the realm of personal and it’s become the state’s responsibility.
All these parents/students have done is perfectly illustrated the inherent problems, contradictions and issues that exist when you have exclusive faith-based funding in education.
And if recent court – and board, for that matter – decisions are any indication, the “Catholic” part of the Roman Catholic school system may soon disappear. At that point, why even bother?
I'm an atheist. I went to Catholic school my entire schooling life, which helped me discover my atheism. I am a strong supporter of secularism. However, I completely agree with the writer. If you choose to go to Catholic school then suck it up and take the course. Otherwise let's cut the pretense, defund the boards and offer religion as an elective in public schools
You realize that in some communities, the catholic school is the ONLY option. I can name a few communities, including my own, that only have catholic high schools. It is important in those cases that people can opt out of religious teachings if they are not interested or would prefer to learn more useful things in preparation to the workplace.
"You realize that in some communities, the catholic school is the ONLY option. I can name a few communities, including my own, that only have catholic high schools. It is important in those cases that people can opt out of religious teachings if they are not interested or would prefer to learn more useful things in preparation to the workplace."
Where? The "ONLY" option? Really?
Anon 13 August, 2014 12:32
There you go again, putting words in my mouth and making claims about my motives. That could be dangerous territory for you.
If you'd actually read what was written and its intent, you'd see we're actually mostly in agreement on a number of points.
Hugo
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