Opposition to Ontario’s public funding of faith-based schools is almost exactly as old as the funding itself. Unfortunately, organized opposition to public funding has not yet pulled together the right combination of strategy and execution to succeed the goal to put an end to the human rights violation at the core of Ontario’s education system.

However – the ambition continues. Alumni to Amend Section 93 Ontario (AA93) represents former students and their supporters fighting to end the public funding of Catholic education in Ontario. Ontarian taxpayers pay for an inefficient, discriminatory education system that causes both Catholic and Public boards to divert resources away from their classrooms.

The organizations’ website states that it was founded in May of 2023 by Christina Cody. Cody comes from a long line of Catholic school attendees and was educated via the York Catholic District School Board. It was that board’s adoption of a set of anti-LGBTQ+ policies that Cody couldn’t accept. Disheartened to see that the faith-based school system’s ideologies and actions hadn’t changed, Cody was inspired by other former attendees who disavowed the actions of the YCDSB. 

AA93 states that it is driven by and centered on “the experiences of former students and teachers who have attended and been employed by Catholic school boards. Those who have worked and been educated within these boards paint a picture of systematic bullying, abuse, and marginalization that is encouraged and supported by church teachings.”

Opposition to public funding of faith-based schools is, of itself, a correct and worthy thing. Perhaps strategies borne of the alumni of the system will be more successful than those that have started outside the machinations of the Catholic church. We can only hope so, and encourage renewed efforts to bring greater fairness, equality and efficiency to Ontario.

Citations, References And Other Reading

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