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Education
05 Sep 2013 Manitoba consultations on Bill 18 ongoing
As we reported earlier this year, Manitoba's Bill 18 has some serious flaws that need to be corrected. In fact, even NDP supporters are speaking out against it. At the beginning of this year, we encouraged our readers in Manitoba to step up, to take action and to speak out. And how they have responded! It's great to hear that many parents and leaders will be presenting to the committee (over 300 individuals are scheduled to present). Dozens have talked to MLAs either over the phone or in person and...
08 Aug 2013 Alberta: Opportunity to Shape the Education System
In 2012 we were very thankful to see the Alberta government heed the call of many parents and introduce an Education Act that was not shackled to the problematic Human Rights Act. Now you have an opportunity to take part in a survey from the Ministry of Education to shape how this Act is applied. This is important, as the Ministry is in the process of making new regulations. In other words, this is where the rubber hits the road and the theory of the Act has to be applied to...
01 Aug 2013 National Post Editorial by ARPA’s Legal Counsel
Even the Faithful are Citizens - André Schutten, National Post, Aug 1 2013: The National Post article by Clayton Ruby and Gerald Chan, speaking against Trinity Western University (TWU) and its proposed law school, made for interesting reading. But it not a clear representation of Canadian constitutional law. Indeed, the argument suffered from many misleading claims, not to mention wishful thinking and outright errors in fact. While "debunking" so-called myths perpetuated by the National Post's Jonathan Kay in his earlier piece supporting TWU, the two lawyers themselves misstate the law. Let's take it point for point. In their first "correction" of Kay, Ruby and Chan suggest, "Few Christians accept that homosexuality is a moral evil." With the greatest of respect, Ruby and Chan are hardly experts on the Christian religion. Most practicing Christians are more likely than not to have traditional or orthodox views on marriage and sexuality. But this isn't any of Ruby and Chan's business, nor is it the business of the government or the courts. The Supreme Court made it quite clear in its 2004 ruling in the case of Syndicat Northcrest vs. Amselem that to pry into the sincerely held religious beliefs of citizens is inappropriate.16 Jul 2013 Three modes of education: Christian parents’ perspectives on them all
Education is a pretty big issue in Canada today, and is certainly an issue of concern for ARPA and our supporters. It will be the feature topic of our 2013 tour and the subject of ongoing engagement with various provincial governments and with the Supreme Court of Canada itself! But sometimes, it's helpful to take one step back and consider education outside of the legal/political cacophony and consider it from a Biblical principles perspective. We've got something that might lend perspective in that regard. Over on the Gospel Coalition Blog,...
15 Jul 2013 Who is behind the education system? It isn’t so neutral after all
The following article by Michael Corren is well worth reading and contemplating. At a time where the Reformed schools and ARPA Canada are going to the Supreme Court to explain that education is not neutral and that it is impossible for us to give up our Christian worldview for part of the day, this story does a great job introducing us to one of the people who is behind the "neutral" education system. We have every reason to be scared when the State decides how sexuality, among other things, should be taught. QMI Agency, July 13 2013: Earlier this week, Toronto police arrested Benjamin Levin, a highly regarded University of Toronto education professor and former civil servant, and on Wednesday he was formally charged with seven counts of child exploitation, including charges of possessing and accessing child pornography. Not only is Levin an educationalist who influenced schools and teachers all over the world, including Canada and in particular Toronto, but he was also part of Kathleen Wynne's transition team when she became Ontario premier.12 Jul 2013 Education: Headwinds and Tailwinds
On June 8, 2013 ARPA Niagara hosted a dinner with three speeches focusing on the issue of education in Ontario. Mr. Ted Postma, a member of the Grace Free Reformed Church, is the principal of Calvin Christian School in Hamilton and is also a school quality evaluator for the Ontario Alliance of Christian Schools. He spoke about the development of independent religious schools in Ontario, how the Ontario Education Act defines schools and the political/legal benefits and challenges posed on independent schools. We are very thankful that Ted has given...
13 Jun 2013 Christian school case going to the Supreme Court!
Loyola Christian School is going to the Supreme Court of Canada! After a shocking decision from the Quebec Court of Appeal, Loyola applied to the Supreme Court for a hearing. The Court of Appeal had ruled in December 2012 that it is reasonable for a government to require a Christian school to set aside its Christian worldview for an hour a day in order to teach about other religions. This morning, the Supreme Court of Canada allowed Loyola's application for an appeal and so the process will begin to prepare for the appeal. ARPA Canada and the Reformed Christian community are very interested in the outcome of this case - Reformed denominations, as a rule, run their own independent schools and the Quebec Court of Appeal decision would pose an incredible infringment on how we "raise up our children in the way they should go." For some background on the case and what it means for Reformed Christians, click read more.23 May 2013 New national childcare poll lets Canadians express their preferences
MAY 23, 2013 | by ANDREA MROZEK, IMFC: Who knows what is best for children? Parents or politicians? Families or bureaucrats? Parents are rarely asked what they want in the perennial daycare debates. Legislators weigh in. Educators weigh in. Activists weigh in. But parents—too tired to write up press releases after the kids go to bed and lacking a union to speak for them—are an afterthought. The end result is family policy that pushes for more institutional, government-funded care. In Ontario, the expansion of all-day kindergarten was initially intended as a first step toward universal daycare....
12 Oct 2012 Catholic schools can’t teach abortion is wrong – that’s ‘misogyny’
TORONTO, Oct. 10, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) By Patrick B. Craine– In what pro-life leaders are calling a stunning and unprecedented attack on religious freedom, Ontario’s Education Minister has apparently declared that Catholic schools can no longer teach that abortion is wrong. Laurel Broten, who serves under Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty, said Wednesday that Catholic schools are barred from teaching this core moral belief because Bill 13, the government’s controversial “anti-bullying” law, prohibits “misogyny. “Taking away a woman’s right to choose could arguably be considered one of the most misogynistic actions that...