Why are provinces still funding religion-based institutions? The case for and against defunding Catholic schools in Ontario
The Catholic Church's blasé reaction to the discovery of 215 unmarked children's graves at the former site of a residential school in Kamloops earlier this month has prompted many to take a hard look at where Canada's tax dollars go — chiefly, whether the country and its provinces should continue to fund religion-specific schools and hospitals.
On Thursday, June 24, the Cowessess First Nation says it has found 751 unmarked graves at the site of a former residential school in Saskatchewan that was founded by Roman Catholic missionaries in 1899 and operated until 1996.
Farah Khan
Thu., June 24, 2021, 12:04 p.m.
The Catholic Church's blasé reaction to the discovery of 215 unmarked children's graves at the former site of a residential school in Kamloops earlier this month has prompted many to take a hard look at where Canada's tax dollars go — chiefly, whether the country and its provinces should continue to fund religion-specific schools and hospitals.
On Thursday, June 24, the Cowessess First Nation says it has found 751 unmarked graves at the site of a former residential school in Saskatchewan that was founded by Roman Catholic missionaries in 1899 and operated until 1996.
The debate continues about public support of Catholic institutions.
In 1999, the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) declared Ontario’s policy of funding Catholic schools "discriminatory" as it denies full funding to other religious schools. The policy is very much still in place with 37 Catholic school boards in Ontario alone.
The UN suggestion at the time was for Ontario to extend funding to schools of other religious denominations — or end the practice for Catholic schools altogether.
So, why haven't we made the change yet?