Bibles in Ontario Public Schools?

(title acts as a link to an article published by CTV on the ctvtoronto.ca website on Sunday, February 13th 2011)

Hm, this topic has certainly been a catalyst for debate in Ontario in the past, and to my knowledge hasn't really come up in recent years. The reason for this is definitely because of the neutral stance of Ontario's public school system, especially when it comes to religious denomination.

In the article, Premier Dalton McGuinty clearly stated that he did not want to take a stand on the issue, and for once in quite a long time, I really think our Premier got his position right. Opting not to take a stance (by quoting Bill Davis I might add) was a smart move because of the immensely sensitive nature of the issue itself.

In my opinion, Bibles should not be allowed in the classrooms of Ontario's public school system. The Bible, like every other religious text takes its own stand on the issue of religion and would thus violate the inclusivity and neutrality of the public school system in this province. I know it may strike some as odd that a conservative blogger might say something like this, but I will "stick to my guns" in the sense that I am quite happy with the system in place in Ontario's public schools.

Bringing the Bible back into the Ontario classroom is a horrendous idea in this day and age. The demographic in this province has changed (some say for the better, some say for the worse) and re-admitting religious influence into a school system that is no longer homogenous is simply a bad idea. It would start an avalanche of petitioning to allow texts from every religion represented in Ontario to be available for children. The focus on learning and the development of children into modern, productive and successful adults would be put in jeopardy if these debates were to rage.

The Ontario public school system functions well in its current state, and despite recent controversies regarding other aspects and programs, should be left as it is...to provide our children with the best education that is possible; all the while offering said education to as many children as possible.

The Bible was removed from our public schools with the intention of offering the inclusivity necessary to allow every Ontarian to succeed and it should not be brought back. No matter what.