Myths and facts about fair funding for education

By Dr. Seymour Epstein--

In recent letters and articles critical of public support for faith based schools that meet provincial standards, there is a perception that those who favour such funding do not also support the public school system. Nothing could be further from the truth. Indeed we believe that faith-based schools need to be included in the public system in order to make it a more “public” system of education. During the course of debate on this issue there have been many myths perpetrated. These deserve to be confronted and factually addressed.

Myth # 1 – Funding for faith-based schools violates liberal democratic principles.Liberal democratic principles permit and require public funding of qualifying faith-based schools. In other Canadian provinces and most western jurisdictions outside of the USA, public funds are given to faith-based schools. In fact, even in the United States where the separation of church and state is a constitutional principle, there is a great deal of government assistance to faith-based schools.

Myth # 2 – Funding faith-based schools will confer benefits to religious organizations that are not available to non-religious organizations.Inclusive Public Education provides those in society for whom religion is all-important with the benefits of general education which are available to the non-religious. No academic logic can turn around the fact that a small percentage of faith-based parents are not receiving the full educational rights they are paying for with their taxes. Ontarians understand that in the year 2007 we cannot discriminate against faith communities. As a responsible pluralistic society that honours and treasures our faith communities we cannot simply “grin and bear” such a serious inequity.

Myth # 3 – The province already has the power to supervise education at faith-based schools without public funding. Although most Jewish day schools already adhere to provincial standards, by law, a private elementary school in Ontario does not have to do much more than obey certain fire codes. Provincial inspection of private secondary schools offering a diploma varies greatly in intensity and depth, mostly at the discretion of the school itself. An inclusive public system would provide universal accountability and oversight to ensure that what is taught at faith-based schools conforms to provincial regulations and Canadian values.

Myth # 4 – Public funding for Jewish day schools will lead to academic mediocrity. There is no evidence that government-funded faith-based schools tend towards mediocrity; not here in Canada and not throughout the world. Clearly, some fear that religious education goes against the grain of liberal society in that it divides more than it unifies. For this, too, there is no empirical evidence. Those of us who believe in and support public education but also want it to be completely inclusive are convinced by what we have seen elsewhere. Children who are reared in one specific environment can more easily appreciate the values of another atmosphere. What I believe, as a Jewish educator deeply rooted in my own culture, its literature, and its values, and equally devoted to Canadian pluralism is that my perspective allows me to look in the eyes of any other Canadian or citizen of the world and appreciate profoundly how they see the world from their own individual perspective. Canada has always been proud of the mosaic rather than the melting pot, and in a mosaic each colour is magnified by the others around it.

Dr. Seymour Epstein is senior vice-president, The Centre for Enhancement of Jewish Education, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto.