Ontario Catholic Schools on the way out?

[T1Catholic]

From what I have been observing there is growing pressure for the government to stop funding Catholic schools in Ontario. We are the last province in Canada that still funds Catholic schools. I guess it’s considered discrimination against the other faiths (including Protestants) who would like government funding for their schools.

My question is, what happened in the other provinces when government funding was cut-off? Did the schools close? Become part of the public system? Did some change to private schools?

This is apparently going to be a hot-button issue in the upcoming provincial elections.

 

[Caesar]

The existance of an independant Catholic schoolboard is in the British North America Act of 1861 (which forms a crucial part of the Constitution).

I am not sure what happened in the other provinces, but there must still exist in them a Catholic schoolboard- just not funded by the provincial governments.

 

[jrsmith]

Alberta also has publicly funded Catholic schools…i’m not sure how much is funded, but when it comes to paying taxes, the individual can specify whether their tax money goes to the public or the catholic school district.

 

[Feanaro_s_Wife]

Alberta also has publicly funded Catholic schools…i’m not sure how much is funded, but when it comes to paying taxes, the individual can specify whether their tax money goes to the public or the catholic school district.

I am also from Edmonton! Welcome to the forums

Because hubby and I are Catholic, our school tax dollars go to the Catholic schoolboard. We don’t have a choice. Before I converted, we had the option of where my half would go.

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Malia

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[ack]

Hi,

I’m not from Canada, but I’m confused by your post…are you saying that you are required to tell the Canadian government what religion you are, so they know where to send your tax dollars?

I am also from Edmonton! Welcome to the forums

Because hubby and I are Catholic, our school tax dollars go to the Catholic schoolboard. We don’t have a choice. Before I converted, we had the option of where my half would go.

Malia

 

[didymus]

Hi,

I’m not from Canada, but I’m confused by your post…are you saying that you are required to tell the Canadian government what religion you are, so they know where to send your tax dollars?

Ah, a fellow American! Our 1st Amendment is rather unusual, in most countries there is some entwining of Church and State.
In Germany (under the terms of the Reichskonkordat) the gov’t deducts money from your paycheck to support the Church, including the salary of the clergy. A Cardinal Archbishop gets the same as a Field Marshall. The Protestant churches have similar arrangements.

Of course, “who pays the piper call the tune.”

 

[T1Catholic]

Hi,

I’m not from Canada, but I’m confused by your post…are you saying that you are required to tell the Canadian government what religion you are, so they know where to send your tax dollars?

No you don’t have to tell the government what religion you are. You have the option of having your tax dollars go to support the Public school system or the Catholic school system. I like having the option but that’s what I’m worried about for Ontario, that the government is going to stop providing funding for the Catholic School boards and therefore our tax dollars go right away to the public school system. Right now because of that funding our Catholic schools are free to each and every child from kindergarten all the way up until high-school graduation. But then I can see why the other religions are upset because they have their dollars go to the public school system (more than likely) but then they don’t have the option of having their own government funded schools. If your Jewish and want a Jewish school, it’s private and you have to pay the big bucks.

 

[T1Catholic]

Hi,

I’m not from Canada, but I’m confused by your post…are you saying that you are required to tell the Canadian government what religion you are, so they know where to send your tax dollars?

No you don’t have to tell the government what religion you are. You have the option of having your tax dollars go to support the Public school system or the Catholic school system. I like having the option but that’s what I’m worried about for Ontario, that the government is going to stop providing funding for the Catholic School boards and therefore our tax dollars go right away to the public school system. Right now because of that funding our Catholic schools are free to each and every child from kindergarten all the way up until high-school graduation. But then I can see why the other religions are upset because they have their dollars go to the public school system (more than likely) but then they don’t have the option of having their own government funded schools. If your Jewish and want a Jewish school, it’s private and you have to pay the big bucks.

 

[ack]

Ok, thanks…I was confused by this:

Because hubby and I are Catholic, our school tax dollars go to the Catholic schoolboard. We don’t have a choice. Before I converted, we had the option of where my half would go.

How do you “not have a choice” if the government doesn’t know what your religion is?

 

[Feanaro_s_Wife]

Ok, thanks…I was confused by this:

How do you “not have a choice” if the government doesn’t know what your religion is?

Honestly I don’t remember the wording on the form. But I recall that it said that if you are Catholic then your tax dollars HAVE to go to the Catholic schoolboard. If you are NOT Catholic then you have a choice of where to allot the money. Before I converted we did 50/50.

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Malia

 

[Lil_M]

I don’t see a whole lot of good coming out of the schools now so anything will be an improvement. Maybe I will get the opportunity to teach at one that isn’t full of fluffy garbage! pipe dream

Much needed prayers- 19 days till I find out if I got accepted into the B. Ed program!! :bigyikes: I’ve been waiting 4 years for this!

 

[Morning_Star15]

I was told when I was in a Catholic high school in Ontario that Catholic schools in Ontarion used to privately funded (which is why we still wore uniforms like the private school students, only a toned-down version of it - sweaters instead of blazers, etc.). Mind you, while my high school was technically funded by the government, we had to rely on Coca-Cola funding as well.

I don’t know why the government would stop funding Catholic schools, though. I know there have been issues over the budgets of Catholic school boards in recent years, with the government insisting on cutting expenses, but the students in those schools (and in areas like mine there are a lot) who attend those schools can’t afford private schools and need a school to attend, so the government will have to provide schools either way - why not keep them Catholic, especially since, at the high school level at least, anyone, even non-Catholics, can attend a Catholic school, as long as they’re respectful of the Faith?