Yes.  What was the fuss about during the last election?  I think the Liberals were into fear mongering. 
I’m happy that the muslim children are allowed to say their prayers.  Many muslims say they feel so much better afterwards.  For once the educational systgem got things right

None of it matters. It’s not as if we have any opposition candidates waiting to take on this issue and jam it down the throats of those who spun the issue into oblivion last election. No fuss….all spin and failure to counterspin.

Plays right into the NDP’s hands and their possible…to be announced at a later date - education plan.

Don’t worry though Ontario it looks like the McGuinty gov’t isn’t satisfied with imposing a no-fail policy on educators and school boards. It’s not inflating it’s own grade on the education file - sadly once again the rebuttal to the contrary from the NDP and PC’s…...flat to non-existent. If the McGuinty Liberals are pulling the wool over our sheep-eyes it’s being allowed to happen unchallenged.

http://www.torontosun.com/2011/07/04/ontario-liberals-give-themselves-an-a-on-education

Here’s the stance of the Ont. PC re: this issue.  The NDP also issued their own take via several news media hits yesterday.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/ontario-tories-on-muslim-prayer-in-schools-its-not-for-politicians-to-decide/article2088911/?utm_medium=Feeds: RSS/Atom&utm_source=Toronto&ut;

Actually I believe this is a huge issue. It is indicative of how unbalanced “inclusiveness” really is. Regarding Eden, you are wrong. Having taught there at one time, I know the routine. Chapel is before the day starts, always has been since it was a publicly funded school. They are not allowed to do anything regarding faith and prayer during the day. In the TDSB case, it is in the middle of the day! That is faith-based funding by the back door.

While I am totally in favour of parent choice, it has to be real choice for everyone, not just Catholics and Muslims!

In fact, I have so angry over this issue, it brough me out of my hiatus.

Forgot to add my link. http://crux-of-the-matter.com/2011/07/15/are-muslim-prayers-at-valley-park-toronto-school-faith-based-funding/

It was my understanding from the media reports that the TDSB school had services for a portion of the school year during the students’ lunch break.

Eden, unlike the Toronto school, has chapel and bible study listed as part of its daily time schedule http://www.dsbn.edu.on.ca/schools/eden/about_schedule.html

The point I was trying to make is that in both schools the fact is that worship takes place outside of the classroom and that participation is voluntary.

Doretta, the situations are completely different. In the TDSB case, the prayer sessions are after lunch in the cafeteria. That means they are being funded with public dollars.

At Eden, chapel is before the school days starts or on weekends. 

When Eden can do their chapel services after lunch on school time, as they can do in the Catholic system, then I would agree with you.

You know I agree with parent choice. But, this example means that the only parents who have choice in this situation are those who are Muslim.

We don’t often disagree but on this we do because IMP, Eden versus Valley Park are apples versus oranges.

I just checked with the mother of an Eden student and she confirmed that, while chapel is part of the school day schedule, it is BEFORE the official school day starts. But, once the main schedule starts, Eden is no different than any other public high school.

People like Christina Blizzard continually try to make Eden out to be a FB school and it is not. The arrangement it has is unique and I was there when the original contract was signed.

So, what was all the fuss about? One thing and that is unfairness. John Tory lost the last Ontario election because the Liberals were hysterical with the ‘divisivenes” of the matter and voters agreed. If that opionion has changed, then it has to be fair and truly inclusive of all major religions.

Otherwise, what we have is Catholic education in one system and humanist and Muslim education in the other.

The crux of the matter is that in SQE’s journey towards choice, you are inadvertently going along with the political correctness of this situation and minimizing a true lack of equity.

So, I guess we’ll simply have to agree to disagree. But, the issue did wake me up from my slumber!

So does Eden hold chapel on public school property?  In a portable on school grounds, in a room within the builing or some other location on school grounds?  then what’s the difference if worship happens at 8:35 am or 12:25 pm

Any way, I’m not arguing. I neither agree nor disagree.  SQE neither agrees nor disagrees.  I’m just reporting facts—-Not making a case either way. 

The point of the post that during the last election all the kerfuffle was about funding for religious schools and religion snuck into public schools anyway didn’t it? 

I’m glad you will be back posting.

Thanks for the encouraging words Joe. Blogging is very time consuming and I have enjoyed my time off. But, gradually I am noticing issues that interest me again. I guess, after the fed election, I was simply burned out.

Anyway, re the location for chapel—it “is” on school grounds. Yet, unlike the Catholic system, where they can talk religion any time of the day, Eden is not allowed to do so once the official day starts.

Eden is a cash cow for the DSBN. Make no mistake about it. There are 750 kids and a long waiting list. Think of the per student grants!

Eden parents would leave the public system in a blink if the contract arrangement was broken. My own children and now grandchildren attend or are already graduates of Eden.

However, my daughter went there when I was teaching visual art there—back in the early 1980’s when it was still private. In fact, I went back to grad school right about the time it became public. Meaning, I was at the public meetings when it all came about.

Frankly, I didn’t think the agreement would last this long. So, its a model of choice that can work.

The one in the TDSB has other problems as well—such as girls at the back of the room! Surely, we don’t want to go back to the middle ages in that regard.

Anyway, after all is said and done, it is my hope that other accommodations, with other religious groups, can come about as opposed to cancelling the prayer program.

“Regarding Eden, you are wrong.”

Thank-you for correcting the Niagara Eden school information Sandy.

“I have so angry over this issue, it brough me out of my hiatus.”

I visit your blog occasionally but to tell you the truth you stop and start so frequently, and you cover the same stuff as here mostly, I’m not a fan sorry.

I really don’t believe Doretta was challenging you. You think you’re the only one angered by what’s gone on?

Get in line.

“Thanks for the encouraging words Joe.”
Who’s Joe?

I heard on a news program yesterday that in fact the TDSB has violated the Education Act. What penalty will be levied them?

More to the point.  How do we define the Canadian Public School? I would bet that the community within the TDSB would define its schools differently than some other communities would.

“. I neither agree nor disagree.  SQE neither agrees nor disagrees.”

Doretta - your title to this post is “What’s All The Fuss About?” and the way you’ve set it up I assumed that you and SQE were “FOR” this choice.

Sorry Chuck, I thought you were signing in as Joe.

Re my starting and stopping often, that is true. I admit that. The problem is that I am 72 years old and sometimes I just get tired of all the complaining. Within two weeks of the federal election, sworn conservatives were already whining that the PM hadn’t yet done this or that. Unbelievable.

Anyway,blogging as a volunteer activity is a huge responsibility and very time consuming.

I am back for awhile now, at least until after the Ontario election. How long I stay after that will, of course, depend on my health, which is quite good most of the time. My parents lived active lives well into their 80s so maybe I’ll get lucky.

But hey, hang out here, School For Thought is a great blog!

Hudak’s PC responses (there were two in that week)

This one:

“Progressive Conservative critic Elizabeth Witmer said her party had no intention to bringing up religion in schools in the upcoming election, noting that this case is specific to one school board and it was up to them to sort out.

“We have indicated that we would not be bringing this (faith-based funding) forward again, we feel that the people did speak last time and our position is that this is an issue that the Toronto board needs to deal with,” she said. “

And a quote from Hudak that this issue is best left up to schools boards.  So much for leadership.

The NDP have been equally wishy-washy, and the Liberals silent.  Someone reported on one of these threads that the NDP are rumoured to be moving to nix the Catholic system by moving to One System. 

Doesn’t this latest set them up nicely to do just that?