Resolution on Fair Funding for Schools in Ontario

WHEREAS the Government of Ontario is constitutionally mandated to provide
for the education of every child in Ontario; and

WHEREAS the Government of Ontario currently funds the Roman Catholic
Separate School system in keeping with the historic Confederation Agreement
of 1867 in that province; and

WHEREAS independent denominational schools completely comply with Ontario
Secondary School Diploma requirements; and

WHEREAS no comparable governmental funding is provided to Jewish, Islamic,
Sikh or Protestant private schools; and

WHEREAS other Canadian provinces do provide funding for independent
denominational schools with no detrimental effects on any member of
society; and

WHEREAS the United Nations Human Rights Commission has ruled that such
discrimination is a violation of human rights; and

WHEREAS the Government of Canada has indicated that educational funding is
a matter for provincial decisions; and

WHEREAS the Government of Ontario has refused to change its school funding
program to include religious groups other than Roman Catholics.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Rabbinical Assembly call upon the Government of Ontario to review its current policy so as to end unfair discrimination in educational funding and to provide full, fair and equal educational funding for all independent denominational schools in the province of Ontario.

Passed by the Rabbinical Assembly Plenum, March, 2000