Vote to mandate religious knowledge testing for Toronto Catholic students passes

@LifeSite #tcdsb trustees vote 5-3 to support trustee motion to proceed with standardized elementary religious knowledge assessment program
— John Del Grande (@john_delgrande) May 1, 2014

From Parents as First Educators

 Students in Toronto Catholic's grades 4 and 7 will be given standardized testing on the religious curriculum going forward.  The President of Catholic parent group, Parents As First Educators (PAFE), Teresa Pierre, PhD said, "Parents will appreciate the greater accountability for student achievement in the religious curriculum provided by regular testing.  Even more important, we will be able to identify students who are behind, so they can get help, and those who are ahead, so they can be given more challenging work."

Trustees approved the proposal on April 30 in a vote of 5 to 3.  

Students in publicly-funded Ontario schools take standardized tests in reading, writing, and mathematics almost every year in primary school. Toronto Catholic parent John Parker welcomed the announcement of additional testing in religion because "Since Catholics believe the tenets of our faith to be as foundational as Numeracy and Literacy, they too ought to be tested."

Trustee John Del Grande proposed the motion, which was seconded by Trustee Garry Tanuan.  Voting in favor of the motion were Trustees Del Grande, Tanuan, Bottoni, Kennedy and D'Amico.  Trustees Davis, Andrachuk and Crawford voted against.  Trustees Piccininni, Jakovcic, Rizzo and Poplawski were absent.  

During the debate Trustee Crawford argued religious testing is inappropriate because not every aspect of religious development can be objectively measured.  The proponents of the motion argued, however, that the National Catholic Education Association supports the measurement of religious content in order to create "better formed and knowledgeable Catholics."

The project is the result of years of effort by Trustee Del Grande, who initiated a pilot project on religious testing in the Toronto Catholic board in the mid-2000s that was later halted under board supervision in 2008.  The previously tested models will now be implemented by staff.

Pierre noted that the measure benefits two of the three areas PAFE was set up to target:  transparency, accountability, and fidelity to the faith within the public Catholic system.  "This decision provides parents real bang for their buck," she said.  "It fosters better accountability and greater fidelity to the faith:  it's two for the price of one!"

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Teresa Pierre, PhD, President
Parents As First Educators