Education Equality in Ontario
P.O. Box 11117, Stn H, Ottawa, ON   K2H 7T8
 
ONTARIO NEEDS
www.OneSchoolSystem.org
Links of Interest
 
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1.  Human rights instruments:
 
a.  Legally binding upon or agreed to by Canada:
 
b.  Other instruments under which a school system such as Ontario's would be condemned:
 
2.  Jurisprudence - Religious School Funding and Denominational School Rights
a.  Canada
REFERENCE RE BILL 30, AN ACT TO AMEND THE EDUCATION ACT (ONT.), Jun 25, 1987 - The purpose of this reference was to determine if the Ontario Government was acting within its rights to extend full public funding to Roman Catholic denominational schools through to the end of high school.  The Supreme Court of Canada answered in the affirmative.  The outcome of this case is often misrepresented by vested interests and some politicians, who insist that it also established that Ontario must fund Roman Catholic denominational schools forevermore.  It most certainly did not, as more recent jurisprudence and constitutional changes (eliminating denominational school rights) have illustrated.
Adler v. Ontario, Nov 21, 1996 - The Appelants in this case sought to establish that the Ontario Government violated their rights to equality and to freedom of religion by fully funding the religious schools of one religion to the exclusion of all others.  The Supreme Court of Canada decided that the Ontario Government had no obligation to fund the religious schools of non-Roman Catholic Ontarians.  Dissenting opinions expressed concern that the lack of funding for the religious schools of other faiths resulted in "adverse effect discrimination" against those groups and that "The Education Act funding scheme represents a prima facie violation of the s. 15 [Charter of Rights] guarantee of equal benefit of the law."
b.  International
Waldman v. Canada, Nov 5, 1999 - In this case, the United Nations Human Rights Committee found Canada in violation of the equality provisions (Article 26) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by virtue of the religious discrimination in the Ontario school system.  The decision stated that "if [emphasis ours] a State party chooses to provide public funding to religious schools, it should make this funding available without discrimination."  In other words, Canada was ordered to fund all religious education equally or to fund none at all.
 
3.  Partners in the quest for a better, non-discriminatory school system for all Ontarians:
 
We would like to spread our message of equality and fiscal responsibility across Ontario.  Please contact us for assistance in the establishment of a organization similar to our own or in the establishment of a local presence of our own organization.  We will list such partners here.
 
4.  Political parties supporting one school system:
 
We would like to see this list grow to include all major Ontario parties.  Write to your MPP and help us make it happen.
 
5.  Ontario public school boards supporting one school system in 2007:
 
In early 2007, beginning with the Grand Erie District School Board (DSB), several Ontario school boards began to discuss the benefits of a transition to a single public school system province wide.  Many of them passed motions endorsing the idea of a single public system.  The following school boards are among those supporting a single public school system:
 
6.  Reports to Government:
  
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