TORONTO, Feb. 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A parent and a teacher, both members of OPEN, are the plaintiffs in an application served on the Ontario Government by the lawyers Adair Goldberg Bieber stating that the current public funding of Ontario Catholic schools violates s.15(1) of the Charter of Rights. OPEN (One Public Education Now) is a coalition of organizations and individuals dedicated to ending discrimination in public education.
The Application states there have been sufficient changes since 1987 to justify the Supreme Court of Canada re-examining the Reference re Bill 30 ruling that granted Charter immunity to the funding of Ontario’s separate Catholic schools.
It argues that the only rights protected from Charter challenge are those that existed in 1867 and are protected by s.93(1) of the Constitution Act, 1867. The public funding of non-Catholic students and of Grades 11 and 12 students - neither of which were permitted in 1867 - violate the equality sections of the Charter.
“This lawsuit could fatally damage the separate school system and in any case would make it much less viable,” said OPEN Organizing Committee member Reva Landau, “For example, in Hamilton CDSB, 23% of elementary school and 34% of secondary school students are non-Catholic.”
It has been estimated that $1.6 billion dollars could be saved annually in duplication administrative costs and busing if Ontario had one public, non-denominational, two-language school system. Polling consistently shows a solid majority of Ontario opposes public funding of separate schools.
The challenge relies on grassroots support and donations to contribute to the challenge can be made via PayPal at https://open.cripeweb.org/aboutOpen.html or by Interac e-transfer to open@cripeweb.org.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Reva Landau
landr@bell.net
416-968-2876
