Quebec Schools Will Begin Mandatory Ethics and Religious Culture Courses

Saturday's National Post outlines objections that have been raised in the Canadian province of Quebec to a new mandate by the province's Education Department as part of the move to secularize Quebec's schools. Starting next fall, both public schools and private religious schools (most of which receive some government funding) must offer a new course in Ethics and Religious Culture covering Christianity, Judaism, aboriginal spirituality, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. In public schools, the new course will replace courses in Protestant, Catholic or non-religious moral education that students now choose. Private Catholic schools are concerned that the new course, required beginning in grade 1, will leave less time for Catholic religious instruction. Orthodox Jewish schools are likely to object to a requirement that they teach about all world religions. Barry Levy, professor of religion at McGill University, says: "What's going to happen in these contexts is it's going to be totally shallow, totally meaningless. The only message is going to be [that] they are all of equal value. And the people who are genuinely committed can't buy that argument." (See prior related posting.)