UN attacks public funding of Catholic education in Ontario.

New York -- The United Nations Human Rights Committee has reiterated its demand that the government of Canada eliminate "discrimination" in the funding of education on the basis of religion in Ontario.

The matter, first ruled on in 1999, was heard in response to a complaint filed in 1996 by a Jewish parent in Toronto, who was sending his child at his own expense to a Hebrew private school. Jewish education officials say they support public funding of Catholic education, but want to correct what they see as an inequality regarding other faith-based schools.

On the other hand, John O'Brien, principal of the private Catholic school Wayside Academy in Peterborough, Ontario, sees the UN's ruling as an outgrowth of its secular, collectivist dogmas, which are being threatened by the existence of a unique Catholic intellectual tradition. "The UN, and many of our country's elites, are intent on promoting an irreligious culture here and on the global stage," he said, adding that the ruling is additionally troubling because it fails to encourage Ontario to extend support to all religious and independent schools (LifeSite News, Nov. 17, 2005).

Some are attempting to capitalize on the UN's position by calling for the elimination of all funding for faith-based schooling in Ontario. Leonard Baak, president of Education Equality in Ontario, opines that the government should end the "segregation" posed by funding for Catholic schools and so allow "education to be improved for all Ontario children ... the end of segregation would create truly neighbourhood schools" (Nat. Post, Sept. 17, 2005). Ontario Education Minister Gerard Kennedy is holding out little hope that non-Catholic faith-based schools will receive public funding, a move that would hold an annual price tag of $200 million. "Our focus is on publiclyfunded schools," he said. "There's a choice for every family to put their kids in publicly-funded education because it is of high quality, it is safe and it is going to deliver what their students need" (Toronto Sun, Nov. 17, 2005).

Comment

As Canadian John O'Brien indicated, the UN Human Rights Committee ruling, and the agitation of various Canadian elements for "'equality" in school funding, may well turn into another attempt to abolish religious influence in society. We have seen already how the federal Liberal government, in June 1996, destroyed constitutionally guaranteed religious education rights in Newfoundland, in spite of the strong objections of the Catholic and Pentecostal churches. In 2001 the provincial government in Quebec altered the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms and abolished the denominational school system. In June 2005 it passed Bill 95, which eliminates all religious instruction from public schools in that province and threatens private schools. It is entirely feasible that public funding of Catholic education in Ontario will be next.