Premier Charest, You’d Better Appeal! Let’s Have Something Go Right In This Mandate

Up until a few years ago, when the schools switched from religious school boards to the secular linguistic school boards, parents had a choice of three classes they could enroll their kids into: the Protestant Religion, the Catholic Religion or a class simply called Moral instruction; the latter was more secular and appealed to non-Christian parents. The parents had to duly fill & sign a form with the course selection every year.

Then, the  Quebec  ministry of education decided to scrap all three of those courses and introduce a basic one size fits all kind of deal in the fall of 2008.  Like Grade 10 history, English, French, Math, it is an obligatory course in both the private and public schools. If government matriculations are given on this course, then yes, even those who are home schooled better learn it too. It was about time. If we are to strive toward a secular society and with all the different cultures these kids are surrounded by; enter, Ethics and World Religious class.  Here is a basic description of the course.  I caution you though, this is from a web site of wingnut parents who are soliciting funds for the right to keep their kids as ignorant little bigots. Basically, it teaches kids the basics of  7 world religions as well as basic lessons in basic human courtesy; the proper way to behave and interact with others. All taught from a secular point of view.

Loyola High school, a Jesuit school (although, nowadays taught by civilians more than Jesuits) took the government to court. They felt the course was too redundant as it taught a similar type of course from a Catholic point of view. Government, rightfully felt this was not good enough, so off to court they went.  As someone who grew up in a once predominantly Catholic neighbourhood, I know what the school meant; that Catholics were superior to others and thus no one but Catholics can teach them, so yes, take this to the supreme court!

Last Friday, the Government lost. Given the Judge’s wingnutty and paranoid comments, my advice to the Charest government when appealing: check your judge’s religious biases. I have a feeling Justice Gérard Dugré must be one of those with a Catholic Superiority complex; the kind who would also acquit priests charged with  molesting children, in spite of overwhelming evidence proving guilty,  simply because they’re priests.

“The obligation imposed on Loyola to teach the ethics and religious culture course in a lay fashion assumes a totalitarian character essentially equivalent to Galileo’s being ordered by the Inquisition to deny the Copernican universe,” the judge wrote in his 63-page decision.

Huh? Really rich coming from someone who would more than likely vote in a totalitarian with MPs who believe the earth is 6000 years old and that dinosaurs cohabited with humans.

Furthermore, this decision sets a dangerous precedent.  What about schools teaching evolution as part of a science/biology curriculum?

Or how about Grade 10 History government matriculations? There are many who feel the course is biased.

Naturally, private schools that do receive Government subsidies (pretty much all  private high schools in Montreal: Loyola is no exception); they too must teach the same curriculum. Their students write the same matriculations at the end of the year.  Not only is it fair, given the tax payers are footing the bill for this subsidy. Also, if parents are paying good money, shouldn’t their children be competitive with the rest of the pack?

I’m not comfortable with the idea of private schools receiving government funding when our public school system continues to suffer. Perhaps our public schools would have a chance if the government stopped subsidizing these private schools and put it all in the public system.  I’m even less comfortable paying tax dollars for these parochial schools who impose their religion and values on impressionable young minds.  If parents insist on schools that teach only Catholicism, Judaism, Islam, etc… as Dan Delmar mentioned on the radio tonight: pay out of your own dime on your own time. There are Sunday schools, Hebrew schools, Islamic schools given after school and on week-ends.

Pauline Marois came out publicly in a rare support for Jean Charest, basically saying the same thing: that religious faith should come from the home and the church; not schools.

I say if Loyola insists on teaching their Catholic program without the Government prescribed secular course, then they should give all that government money back. Yep, Dan Delmar! I’m with you 200% here.

A secular ethics and world religions course is far less harmful to impressionable young minds than religious fanaticism.

I guess teaching values like respecting your neighbour, helping your fellow man, humility, integrity, sharing, learn to  “vive la difference!” ; common Judaio-Christian, Buddhist, Muslim Atheist values have become just ‘evul soshalism’ to many of those parents.

Montreal Blogger, Luca Manfredi is on to something that makes sense when it comes to teaching children about the basic customs of  the various world religions from a layperson’s view:

Leave religion to the history courses, where children learn more than just the tenets. When studying a religion, one has to know HOW it emerged, WHERE and WHY. Otherwise it’s just empty faffle. Classrooms should educate good citizens, and leave the forging of good Christians to the church pews.

I hope Charest does appeal and wins, but apparently, according to Dan Delmar, the supremacy of God is in the constitution, thus possibly rendering a favorable outcome problematic.  I still hope he goes for it anyway.

As for that whole Supremacy of God thing enshrined in our constitution, any lawyer out there willing to take this on?