Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - May 23, 1960, Winnipeg, Manitoba When Trao Nax press. Monday. May Page United Church opposes financial Aid to private and parochial schools v t Kublk fund for Iho propagation of any Par ocular is a Viola Tion of Iho fundamental Princl Plo of Tho separation of Church and state. Text of submission of the Winnipeg presbytery to the minister of Edu cation follows. T general statement Section i f Winnipeg presbytery of the United Church of can Ada has viewed with in Erea taif satisfaction Steps that Haw been taken to improve the Standard of education in the province of Manitoba and 1u sup port at a Effort devised to strengthen and maintain excellence in a free Public school tradition. F it la part of the proud Herit age of our Church that As methodists and presbyterians prior to our Union i 1935, we were among the pioneers in creat ing schools in Canada and among the leaders in the de a Tong of a free Public school system which has proven such a Blessing and a Boon to our nation and to our people. Basic values our Zeal Lor pub Lic education grows out of our concern for persons and the necessity that they be Given the Best opportunities to search for knowledge and truth. It la our conviction that me Basic values of re Ligion can be Best maintained m our kind of society through allegiance to a sys tem of education that concen trates on excellence of learn ing. As christians we naturally believe that the Ideal state of Public education would be one i which the entire process of this learning would be set within a framework that in essential agreement with the Christian Faith. But As citizens of Manitoba we recognize that we do not live in this kind of world. Our Chil Dren must grow up to live in a society not Only among other christians who do not snare their interpretation of the Christian Faith but among non christians and those who hold to no religious Faith. In this kind of pluralistic society we believe that the Public school system provides the Only constitutional Safe guard in education protecting child and every Parent against the imposition of Sec tarian Dogma in the class room. It leaves each religious group or Church in the Community free to do its own teaching in the Home and in the Church while at the same time securing for All the Best Educa Tion. Personal quest we do not believe that these guarantees i the pub Lic school system protecting the children against imposition of sectarian Dogma went Ever meant to create conditions within the school so As to deter a child in his per Sonal quest for religious understanding held by him self parents or his Church. Nor do we concur i the charge that our schools Are godless schools because they Are Public schools. We con Sider such a charge Unwar ranted As it is unfortunate. We acknowledge with gratitude the Host of devoted teachers within our schools who have accepted teaching As a vocation unto god and As the Opportunity of leading children into the love of truth. We believe that the Pri Mary purpose at the school is intellectual. Its essential task is to teach our children How to think and How to to tank clearly. By being exposed to As Rich a store of in formation As possible by com manding Many different kinds of reasoning by Deal ing with a wide of problems the student should be trained to Analu and ideas so As to develop that intellectual capacity which will equip him to meet life itself. Best hence we believe that the Public school system with All its and limitations to still Best framework for this kind of educational procedure. It does create the climate of free enquiry. It is a safeguard against the educative process becom ing a process i which the learner May not be free to believe and know for himself. In Short we want our children in schools where there Are roman catholics and mennonites jews and orthodox believers and non believers. It is i this kind of Milieu our children will live out their Days and this kind of educational setting that encourages full respect for the opinions of each group is in our judgment the kind of educational process that win not Only ensure free enquiry for truth but the Best preparation for life itself. Hence we with regret deplore the fact mat the Mem Bers of the Manitoba Royal commission on education should at this time submit a report with recommendations for financial Aid to private schools. This proposal inevitably reopens old controversies which will dissipation of energies that might better be directed to the improvement of our present Public school system. Rights protected we Are not unaware of the claims of minorities but we believe that rights of individuals i these minorities Are now As wisely and fairly protected As is possible i a free and democratic society. We Mink it should be equally recognized that the individual rights of the great majority of our people de serve Protection. We speak for a group who Are not Only concerned. Lest the great values gained i Manitoba by a Public school system be lost through the creation of a separate school system but who basically object to any of their tax Dollar being used Lor the support of schools which May ultimately Lead to ecclesiastical domination in Large areas of Edu cation in this province. We Are not impressed with me arguments used in the report in chapter Sec Tion i g and that i other jurisdictions and provinces patterns of financial Aid to private schools each. Of these examples reflects Peculiar problems unique to historic agreements. Great advantages Manitoba has experienced and values some seventy years now of a Public school system under which great advantages have accrued to this province and to those who have been fortunate enough to be educated within this system. We i Manitoba must de Termine our future on an evaluation of the Worth of this Experiment and assess for ourselves the and the disadvantages of such a system before we seriously contemplate abandoning it we conform to other patterns Tor. The Sake of conformity and we should not allow expediency i any form to Force us to turn the hands of the clock Back i education i Manitoba. We should Ponder Well the fact that while the con science of this continent is troubled Over the efforts made by some to Block de segregation in the schools of the United states of America Are being offered a proposal for segregation of Wir own schools. In this the Baste for such segregation is religious rather than race and language rather Man color. This does not make proposals any palatable to us than if Tottey Justi fied on grounds of race segregation on any grounds is ultimately it our child re an to Gam total they should As Christian Dot sons of a nation they must taught this tolerance and respect within framework of a school system which demonstrates it As a reality not just As a theory. Section n a detailed discussion of certain recommendations of the commission concerning the operation and support of private and parochial schools. Hard of measure 1. We believe that the Sepa ration of children according to religious belief or ethnic origin in their formative years cannot help but negate or at least discourage the development of tolerance and understanding. W realize that it is difficult to the effect of such separation but we believe that by far the stronger argument supports our View. It would seem Matloc that separation is Divi Sive and certainly hot the Way to discourage discrimination and prejudice. About three years ago the inter Church committee o n protestant roman Catholic relations issued a brochure on the separate schools of a Section headed separate schools Foster Dis Unity reads in part As Fol the greatest injury is done by separating roman catholics from those of All other denominations during their most impressionable Ages. It has been truly said that the impressions attitudes sentiments prejudices likes and dislikes which Are fixed i Early years of child Hood Are almost Sineff Ceable through life. I English ukrainian French and scandinavian children coming from Homes with different languages backgrounds religions and loyalties Are All blended into patriotic canadians by learning together i the Public institutes of the Prairie provinces. If they had been educated in separate schools what a Breeding ground of strife hate and Dis Unity the schools would have become produce hatred for the same reason in spite of denial by the roman catholics the two classes of schools in Ontario cannot help but promote suspicion dislike antagonism and strife in the susceptible minds of children. The fact of being separate throughout school life for reasons which they cannot understand is bound to make each group look with mistrust and jealousy upon the other and these Nasty soon produce the report of the Royal commission brushes this argument aside with the Bare statement that there is no satisfactory evidence that sep Arate schools have made for Devi ulveness or yet it is significant that in the Brief submitted to the commission by the Catholic conference of Al most two full pages Are de voted to an argument plead ing the advantages of dial also in the introduction to this Brief on Page one we find the Are convinced of the need and Utility of speaking out at this time because of the Gravity of proud so but an urged to do my i my mull i soil rss pct inc Issaa in nost _. Is to not or even that our unified pub Lic school system to Tow seventy years its operation has at Toast been partially respond Lor this increase to Mutual understanding and res Pector s y1 in schools act 3. schools act already provision for private schools As Long As Stan Dard of education in thaw schools is sufficiently High to meet of provincial department of education. Such private or Paro schools an supported by student Lees funds of Church or other organization controlling them and gifts from they no support from Muni Cipal taxes or government funds. Because these private schools at present receive no support from Public funds they enrol now a comparatively Small proportion of total school population. Of approximately in All Manitoba schools Only or less Are in private schools including private schools of All religious or ethnic groups. The provision of substantial financial support from government Grants would no doubt encourage the establish ment and operation of additional private schools. It would be difficult to estimate accurately the extent of fragmentation of the Public school system that would re sult considerable effect certain restrictions made in recommendation 17 old the report of the commission would prevent the establish ment of private schools in smaller centres of population but in cities and larger towns the effect would be consider Able. The Brief of the Catholic Council of Manitoba states that it represents the views of 28% of the population of this province. It would be fair to assume that 38% of the school population Are of the same Faith. If this proportion holds Good i greater Winnipeg As the total school population of greater Winnipeg is now about including both Public and private schools the number of Catholic pupils enrolled i All these schools would be about.28% of 000 or approximately actually about of these Are attending private schools so that the remain Der or Are now in the Public Catholic parents either voluntarily or in their Church sent All their children to Catholic private schools children now attending Public schools would be transferred to Catholic Pri vate schools. If ethnic or other religious groups also took advantage of the Opportunity to build and operate private the fragmentation of pub Lic school system would be still greater. Fewer the effect of establishing private or parochial schools a would also be serious m Divi Sions less populous than Urban centres but still Large enough to provide Public elementary schools of eight rooms and one or pos Sibly two Public High schools of at least twelve rooms optimum sizes recommended by the commission. In such cases the enrol ment in the Public schools might be so reduced As to prevent the division from hav ing schools of this optimum size. It might even happen that there would have to be a reduction in the number of Public elementary and High schools in the division with resultant inconvenience As As loss of educational Opportunity to children of the area to would seam to inconsistent for the government to of the school system by it Canotal support while at the same time to is establishing larger unite of school administration and consolidation of school Der tricks into Large school divisions the purpose being to provide better educational opportunities for All children of Manitoba. Cost Fofi Toft the element of school costs eaten into this picture. Undoubtedly total educational Oasis would be greater for such a dual system in greater Winnipeg 1 new buildings would have to constructed or purchased to accommodate the increased private school population requiring the pay ment of. Substantial capital Grants by the provincial government 2 the saving in expense of operation to the Public school system by a decrease in enrolment would be than offset by the capital and operational costs of additions in enrolment toy the private schools. The loss of pupils to the Public schools distributed amongst All the grades of All schools of Winnipeg City would mean on the average a reduction in the of each by Pupil. The same added to private school population would require be tween 40 and 50 class rooms and at East the same num Ber of additional teachers. Church pressure a 3. To provide from Public funds for the propagation of any particular religious Creed is of a violation of the funds met ital democratic principle of the of Church and state. While provision of pub Lic funds for the support of private schools Many religious and ethnic groups it is the pressure exerted by the roman Catholic Church that has brought the separate school question once More into the area of Public controversy and most of the arguments i favor of government support of private schools have come from that source. It is Clear from its Brief to the Royal commission that the Catholic Council of Manitoba will not be satisfied with anything less than full Opportunity to teach the roman Catholic Faith i schools operated by roman catholics but supported by Public funds. The school idea is made apparent in the Brief submitted to the com Mission by the Catholic con Ference of is that there must be a close relationship Between the Church and education and that Edu cation must i procedure and Content be conceived by the Church to serve the Church s Catholic this is possible Only if roman Catholic children Are segregated from others if they an taught by specially trained roman Catholic teachers and if the Content of the course of study is chosen to further roman Catholic in education excluding anything that might stimulate to think along in consistent with roman Cath Olic theology. The report of the Royal commission of Manitoba hitts introduction to the study of the curriculum in chapter 8 with reference to the alms of v. It seems to the commission that there can be but pne Basic aim in compulsory pub Lic education. In any Educa Tion imposed by the state no aim seems legitimate except that of developing in each child the desire and the Capa City to be an acceptable and worthy member of the society of free and again the follow t. The ultimate aim in Edu cation must be to free each to make his own choices his own judgments his own t the difference Between the commission s statement of the Basic of education and the roman Catholic View is so obvious that it is difficult to see How the two can be reconciled. 4. We Are convinced that it would be impossible for any government to maintain a program of partial Assis Tance to private schools once the principle is conceded that such schools have a right to state funds. We believe that constant political pressure would be exerted to achieve parity of Grants with the Public school system using the argument that such Grants would be necessary in order to bring the private schools on the whole up to the level of the Public school. Thus sectarian ethnic and other interested groups would be i Competition for Public funds and we believe this would be Damag ing to the Structure of the Manitoba Community which is decidedly pluralistic i Char Acter. We believe that it would be politically impossible to extend specialized forms of assistance to the Public schools in the future with out being forced to make Sim Ilar Grants in Ald to the Pri vate schools. We believe that such a situation would not Only be financially wasteful but would embroil groups i con Stant controversy to the Detri ment of the Public Good. Taxes to Caesar 5. We reject the notion that there Are denominational sectarian or ethnic tax Dol Lars. We do not believe that any citizen or group of Citi Zens has the right to see tax dollars channelled Back into programs that support cer Tain religious or ethnic views. We believe that the citizen As a member of the state Community pays his taxes to Caesar and mat these funds shall be used for the Well being of All citizens with out regard to religious ethnic or racial considerations. We reject the View that certain citizens Are now enduring double taxation. They Are taxed Only As other citizens Are taxed. They May As conscience directs Lay upon themselves additional economic costs to build and maintain schools which the state permits them to operate independently of the Public schools. We agree with the commission that education is a matter in which the cannot impose upon a dissenting but we do not agree that the logic of tills position leads to the state paying the costs of dissent no obligation in a free society we believe that individuals May have the right to operate p r i v a schools As Long As such schools meet rigid require with respect to the Content and effectiveness of their educational program. We cannot agree that the fact of this Freedom Means that the state is obligated to build and maintain such schools. 6. Lack of control of Pri vate schools. If private schools Are Given substantial s a . O r t from government. Grants As Tite commission recommends the report states we should seek to give it upon such terms As it is thought flu most Benefit not Only the private and Paro Chial schools but also the Public schools. The commis Sion that to this end it is essential to give these alternative schools the great est Freedom possible to Experiment and to Challenge the methods achievements attitudes and standards i the Public schools. For this reason the com Mission recommends no More regulation of these schools than is necessary to ensure that the education afforded in them is up to the general Standard of the Public the actual recommend on this Point Are Given on Page Iso of the report and Are numbered 4, b and 6. They read As 4 that such schools As private school corporations Are permitted to operate be subject to no More depart ment of education regulation or control than is necessary to ensure that the education afforded i them is up to the general Standard of the Public 5 that each school operated by a private school corporation be inspected and More rigidly than now by the provincial school inspector for the school District i which it is located but Only to determine whether it of education on the whole up to the standards of the Public schools in the District 6 that pupils attending any school operated by a private school corporation be permitted to take departmental examinations of they so desire and mat for those who do then papers be marked and the results recorded i the regular Way by the department one control if these recommendations were adopted and included i school Law it would be pos sible in our judgment for private and parochial schools to follow their own course of study choose their own text books distribute the teaching time among the various subjects As they wish and be subject to examinations set by the department of education Only for any of their pupils desiring to write them. The Only control proposed is that of the inspector of schools for the District who makes usually Only one or two visits to the school each year to determine whether or not it affords education on the whole up to the standards of the Public schools in the in contrast to this the com Mission recommends the most rigid controls of the Public schools in the matters of curriculum text books promotions examinations and i certain of the senior grades even the percentage of time that can be devoted to the various subjects of the course. In our opinion private or parochial schools if sup by state funds Are part of the Public school sys tem and the requirements for texts references curriculum and teacher training should be identical As be tween the Public schools and any private school supported even partially by Public funds. Alberta report the recently published re port of tie Royal commis Sion on education in Alberta contains the following Para graph which is pertinent to this part of our no denominational group should have direct influence or control Over even a Seg ment of the Public school sys tem particularly since denominational interests Are Given priority Over educational interests in any situation where the two Are in conflict it is understandable that such is the Case since the idea of the separate school system is fundamentally that of the roman Catholic Church. As such it is beyond Compromise. A major Conception in Canadian education is that it should be non denominational. The com Mission re alarms its sup port of this Point of it would appear from the report of Alberta com Mission and from briefs submitted to it that there is a persistent Effort by the roman Catholic Church to secure More and More conces Sions from the Alberta government concessions that would result in the Transfer of the control of me Sepa rate school from the state to the roman Catholic Church. The Alberta commission has wisely recommended against granting these concessions. Two systems it is our belief that Spon sors of parochial schools in Manitoba once having secured financial Aid and a Large measure of control of these schools As recommended by the Royal com Mission would persistently seek further financial Assis Tance and greater Independence from the government the result would be two systems of education both supported by Public funds but one of which would be almost entirely under denominational control. We do not want this in Manitoba. 7. Recommendations 11 and 12 of chapter h Deal with the conditions under which Grants will be paid to private schools. The distribution from government funds to private schools is to be by a commission of three members known As the Pri vate Grant commis this commission would be authorized to make a Grant to any private school provided certain conditions Are met. One of these conditions is that the provincial in Spector s report satisfied private schools Grant com Mission that the school did afford in the preceding Calen Dar year education on the whole As Good As was afforded in the Public schools of the District in which to Isi right to Appeal however it is also video that should the com Mission reject any application from a private school for a Grant solely for the reason that the inspector s report did not so satisfy tiie commission the school shall have the right to Appeal to the minister who if he re verses the decision of the commission shall direct the commission to make the Grant it would have made to such school had the Provin Cial inspector s report Satis fied the commission. This makes the final decision of the Quality of Edu cation in private schools one in which political considerations outweigh unprejudiced judgment of highly qualified professional educators. We must record our Strong est opposition to the adoption by the government of this proposal made by the com Mission. A major Issue Section in religion in the we have not dealt with very major Issue of the religious and spiritual foundations of education in the Public school and the responsibilities of the Church to give leadership and insight in this matter. It would be beyond the scope of ent Brief to attempt to out line a policy or program that would enhance the religious values of the present Public school program. We would record however our Complete willingness to work with other denominations provincial and local educational authorities to study the present program of religious exercises and religious studies in the Public schools and in consultation with these groups attempt to develop programs that would meet the concern of the Royal commission report to build Strong foundation values into the educational system of our society. This report is published through the Courtesy of a group of members of the United Church ;