Religion, public education and the Charter: Where do we go now?
Keywords:
religion, Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, public education, freedom of expressionAbstract
This paper examines what role, if any, religion should have in Canada’s public schools. The basic argument is that discussion about religion, as well as the manifestation of religious belief, should be encouraged in our schools because there are good philosophical, pragmatic and educational reasons to justify this kind of activity. At the same time, the author readily acknowledges that any discussion about, or expression of, religion must respect the values and principles embodied in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982). As the Supreme Court of Canada reminds us, all freedoms are subject to reasonable limits and both the rights and limits have their origins in these fundamental values and principles, which make up the Canadian polity. RELIGION, ÉDUCATION PUBLIQUE ET LA CHARTE : OÙ ALLONS NOUS MAINTENANT? RÉSUMÉ. Cet article examine quel rôle, s’il y en a un, la religion devrait avoir dans les écoles publiques canadiennes. L’argument central est que les discussions à propos de la religion, de même que la manifestation de croyances religieuses, devraient être encouragée dans nos écoles parce qu’il existe de bonnes raisons philosophique, pragmatique, et éducative pour justifier ce genre d’activités. En même temps, l’auteur reconnaît aisément que toute discussion au sujet de la religion ou l’expression de celle-ci doit suivre les principes incarnés dans la Charte canadienne des droits et libertés (1982). Comme la Cour suprême du Canada nous le rappelle, toutes les libertés sont sujettes à des limites raisonnables et les deux, droits et limites, ont leurs origines dans ces valeurs et ces principes fondamentaux qui font la politique canadienne.Downloads
How to Cite
Clarke, P. (2007). Religion, public education and the Charter: Where do we go now?. McGill Journal of Education / Revue Des Sciences De l’éducation De McGill, 40(3). Retrieved from https://mje.mcgill.ca/article/view/578
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