By Suman Bhattacharyya
Canada is praised the world over for its high standard of living and its commitment to diversity. Our government likes to portray us as a model for other countries to follow.
Reflecting this, Ottawa is often seen as a shining example of diverse communities interacting in harmony. While we may flaunt our diversity, one contradiction continues to exist: Catholic schools are publicly funded while others aren’t.
When Canada was founded, most of Upper Canada (now Ontario) was Protestant. Catholic schools were publicly funded to protect the religious minority.
Today, the demographics have changed. Forty-six per cent of Canadians are Catholic, while provincially they number around 35 per cent Clearly, the religion is not in danger of extinction. However, the public purse continues to promote it.
The idea of funding minority religious schools is a vestige of our past that may have been well-intentioned at the time. Minority religious rights became one of the pillars of Canada’s existence.
Our lawmakers must acknowledge that our country has changed. Successive waves of immigration has moved our country away from the ‘two-founding nations’ idea. Canada now celebrates its ethnic and religious diversity.
Centretown is a good example of this diversity. According to Statistics Canada, 19 per cent of Ottawa’s population are visible minorities, many of whom are not Catholic. It is reasonable to assume that other groups are also included in the remaining 81 per cent.
If Catholic schools are granted public funding on the basis that their religion needs protection, why aren’t all religious schools equally supported? How can the government justify funding schools for one religion and not others?
In a political climate of fiscal constraint, one can argue that money isn’t there to support schools of every religion.
Fair enough, but why support any? Cutting funding to Catholic schools would not only eliminate the double standard, but recognize the pluralistic character of our society.
With the new millennium as a symbolic ‘turning of the page’ of the history book, the government should set things straight. It appears it is continuing to support what can only be described as religious ghettoization.
It’s time to acknowledge the reality that religion belongs in the home or place of worship — not the school.