One Size Fits All
In an egalitarian society which makes an effort to teach the young through the public school system that Canada is basically a secular society which recognizes and respects its population's diversity in ethnic and cultural heritage and religion, there is no place in the school system for religious favouritism. There are and always have been, private parochial schools operated by ethnic or religious groups, apart from the public school system.
In those private schools religion may be taught, but it makes no sense to introduce into the public school system an exception that is seen to benefit children whose parents adhere to any one specific religion. Canada has been through this, and there is no point returning to it. Canada has always been a majority-Christian country, and its major public holidays reflect that reality.
But Canada, and its provinces, have long since departed from school prayers and religious symbols in public schools.
Yet a retrograde action has taken place in Toronto at the Valley Park Middle School, comprised of 80% to 90% Muslim students, where each Friday an imam selected by the parents of the Muslim children in coordination with the larger Muslim community, addresses a 30-minute prayer session in the cafeteria.
This is the only school within the Toronto District School Board to welcome this kind of divergence from the norm. If this special accommodation is arranged for Muslim students why not other students in reflection of their religious beliefs? How can an exception be made for one particular group to the exclusion of all others?
Absurdly, there is no reason nor practical need for this exception to occur, since a mosque exists just down the street from this school which students are free to attend. This represents accommodation of a nature that is antithetical to Canadian values of inclusivity, but which does bow to exclusivity.
Within the public system one size fits all.
In those private schools religion may be taught, but it makes no sense to introduce into the public school system an exception that is seen to benefit children whose parents adhere to any one specific religion. Canada has been through this, and there is no point returning to it. Canada has always been a majority-Christian country, and its major public holidays reflect that reality.
But Canada, and its provinces, have long since departed from school prayers and religious symbols in public schools.
Yet a retrograde action has taken place in Toronto at the Valley Park Middle School, comprised of 80% to 90% Muslim students, where each Friday an imam selected by the parents of the Muslim children in coordination with the larger Muslim community, addresses a 30-minute prayer session in the cafeteria.
This is the only school within the Toronto District School Board to welcome this kind of divergence from the norm. If this special accommodation is arranged for Muslim students why not other students in reflection of their religious beliefs? How can an exception be made for one particular group to the exclusion of all others?
Absurdly, there is no reason nor practical need for this exception to occur, since a mosque exists just down the street from this school which students are free to attend. This represents accommodation of a nature that is antithetical to Canadian values of inclusivity, but which does bow to exclusivity.
Within the public system one size fits all.
Labels: Canada, Education, Human Relations, Ontario, Religion
posted by Pieface | 7:40 PM
2 Comments:
On the same topic, I also have to wonder about halal food being served in school cafeterias (and other taxpayer-funded facilities).
Why non-Muslims should avoid halal food
When I taught overseas, no parent objected to my mentioning of Halloween or Christmas. Sometimes, that was strongly encouraged. However, once I returned to Canada, I saw how people would skirt around the issue of Christmas lest it cause offense, something that apparently existed in the minds of white liberals and not anyone else. This recent example of accommodation (read: appeasement) just begs the question why an ethnically homogeneous society has no or little problem with Western culture but in North America- a culturally pluralistic continent- we can't hold it together?
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