It Begins: Saskatchewan ruling on Catholic schools could have far-reaching consequences

A Saskatchewan judge’s ruling that non-Catholic students should not receive public funding to attend separate schools could have implications in other parts of the country.

The decision, released on Thursday, said the province violated equality rights set out in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and its obligation of religious neutrality by funding non-minority faith students who enroll in Catholic schools.

The ruling will have far-reaching consequences if applied to other provinces, including Ontario, where publicly funded secular and separate school districts compete for students as birth rates decline and governments provide funding regardless of a family’s religious affiliations.

“When the government funds Catholic schools respecting non-Catholic students, which I have found is an unconstitutionally protected benefit to the Catholic faith, but does not equally fund other faith-based schools to educate non-adherents, discrimination is evident on the face of the enabling legislation and regulations,” Justice Donald Layh wrote in his 242-page decision.

Saskatchewan’s Education Minister, Don Morgan, told reporters on Friday the decision is being reviewed and the government has not decided whether to appeal. But he said following the ruling would disrupt the province’s schooling system.  (more...)

Saskatchewan ruling on Catholic schools could have far-reaching consequences

Told ya they'd get around to us. Nazis never forget. We're all vanilla now.