The Ontario Progressive Con-

servative party has pledged to directly fund non-

Catholic, faith-based schools that join the public

education system if the party

is elected on Oct. 10.

Provincial PC leader John

Tory made the announcement

while speaking at a June 8

Habitat for Humanity event,

which he attended just prior

to his party’s “Countdown

’07” two-day policy confer-

ence in Toronto.

“I think there are some

things on which you have to

stand on principle, and in this case the principle

is fairness to people of other faiths,” he was

quoted as saying in the Toronto Star.

“John Tory and the PC Party believe that we

need to achieve more effective integration of

Ontario’s increasingly diverse student population

into the mainstream of our province,” the party’s

newly released platform states. “That’s why we

are committed to creating an opportunity for non-

Catholic, faith-based schools to choose to join

our publicly funded education system the same

way Catholic schools have already done.

“Our policy will apply only to faith-based

schools and we believe that the best results would

be achieved through direct funding rather than

through tax credits.”

The Star reported that Tory said he would not

bring back a tax credit for private school tuition,

which was introduced by the previous Conserv-

ative government and repealed by the Liberals.

It was criticized for not differentiating between

faith-based and other private schools, as well as

for not tying the credit to school accountability.

“There will be clear conditions [to ensure only faith-based

schools can qualify for public funding],” Tory said.

Tory also announced that if elected, his party would spend

$800 million to strengthen public education.

Jewish groups that have long been involved in advocating

for funding faith-based schools, and who attended the confer-

ence, reacted with tempered excitement.

In a joint press release, Canadian Jewish Congress and UJA

Federation of Greater Toronto applauded the Tory position,

which mirrors the one the two groups have been recommend-

ing.

“This approach to public education is a welcome step that

will serve Ontario students well,” said Joel Richler, chair of CJC,

Ontario region. “This should not be a partisan issue. It’s simply

the right thing to do.”

UJA Federation chair David Engel echoed Richler’s senti-

ments, saying the announcement reflects that “inclusive public

education should be a reality for all of Ontario’s children.”

Similarly, the Ontario Association of Jewish Day Schools

(OAJDS), which held a Shabbat dinner at the PC conference,

referenced some of the major criteria outlined in the PC agenda

on faith-based education, which included: incorporating the re-

quirements of Ontario’s common curriculum as part of faith-

based curricula; participating in Ontario’s standardized testing

program and appropriately addressing “teacher credentialing.”

In a statement, Stuart Lewis, executive director of the OAJDS,

said he plans to call on all day school presidents to “include

some key statements and updates about this vital community

matter” in their respective graduation addresses this year.

But, Lewis cautioned, “it is important that we only endorse

policy and not any political party or make partisan statements.”

B’nai Brith also praised the Conservatives.

“We welcome John Tory’s pledge for equal funding of

Ontario’s faith-based schools,” said Frank Dimant, the organi-

zation’s executive vice-president. “For too long, the govern-

ment’s discriminatory policy of funding only Roman Catholic

schools… has persisted without reform.”

Jewish schools and schools of other faiths currently receive

no public funding, forcing parents to pay high tuition fees in

order to educate their children, while the government continues

to fund Roman Catholic schools.

The Liberal government has maintained that it’s constitu-

tionally obligated to fund Roman Catholic schools.

It argues that the 1867 Constitution, which sought to protect

existing rights for denominational schools of the time, requires

Ontario to maintain a publicly funded Roman Catholic system.

In 1999, the United Nations Human Rights Committee

(UNHRC) ruled that this funding is discriminatory, violating

Canada’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil

and Political Rights, saying the need to protect Roman Catholic

funding is now out of step with modern times.

The UNHRC censured the province again on the issue in a

2005 report.