Your description of the RC schools as "public schools" in the sense of government
funded schools is correct. This tradition comes from the historical link between
the French and English languages/cultures, upon which the constitution, indeed
confederation, is based. Waaaaay back when, when Canada was new (as a
European-descendant nation), they had to figure out how to treat the Catholic
French-speaking and the Protestant English-speaking children fairly. Once solution
was to set up the publicly funded schooling along exactly those lines. Nowadays, of
course, the education system is divided strictly along "religious" lines, not
language lines. Pretty much. Sort of. As in Catholic vs. non-Catholic. So, it's
just a vestige of the old English/French divide.
We do have yet another French School Board, which I believe is also publicly funded,
but eligibility to attend these schools is strictly defined (I'm not exactly sure
what the definition is, but something along the lines that your parents had to have
been educated in French, not French-immersion but French; maybe someone could help
me on this one).
As Ken pointed out, Quebec is (always) a different story, and they recently switched
from having schools segregated along religious lines to having them segregated along
language lines. Interestingly, the rule in Quebec is that if your parents were
educated in English *in Quebec*, then you are allowed to go to the English system.
If not, then you must attend the French system. I have an American-born-and-raised
friend who moved to Montreal. Her children are now in a private English-based
school. They were NOT eligible to attend the English-public system because the
parents were educated in English in the US, not Quebec. And on it goes.
Hope this helps.
Tane Akamatsu
maria judith sucupira costa lins wrote:
> Tane,
> this is very interesting and I would like to know more about it. If I have
> understood well, a catholic school is also a kind of public school and you don't
> need to pay for your kids in this school, isn't it? if it is possible, explain
> how it works, please. thank you maria lins
>
> Tane Akamatsu escreveu:
>
> > Almost, but not quite. It might be more accurate to say there are "public",
> > "separate", and "private" schools. You pays your taxes, and check off
> > whether you want your kid in the "public" or "separate" school system, both
> > of which are publicly funded. The separate system consists *only* of the
> > Roman Catholic Schools (in fact, they are called Roman Catholic Separate
> > School Boards). All other religious-based education (primarily other forms
> > of Christianity and Judaism) are through private schools. There are also
> > non-religious private schools (e.g., Montessori, Waldorf). Hope this
> > helps.
> >
> > Tane Akamatsu
> > Toronto, Ontario, Canada
> >
> > Ilda Carreiro King wrote:
> >
> > > hello all,
> > > I have not been following the whole discussion, but when i was in Canada
> > > last weekend, my Toronto cousins told me that when they pay their
> > > residence taxes, they check off whether they want their child to attend
> > > parochial or public schools and the tuition is so directed when their
> > > children enter. Thus, they have chosen to send their children to
> > > parochial school and don't pay anything.
> > >
> > > I am not a proponent of tuition credits but thought the system
> > > interesting. Perhaps Gordon or someone from up North can explain the
> > > system and how they think it works out?
> > > Ilda