213:, commended the Quebec government for championing the cause of universal friendship among human beings, and for identifying "Recognition of Others" and "Pursuit of the Common Good" as values to be taught. However, the organization contended that because Orthodox Jews are required according to Torah law to limit their study of theology to the theology of the Torah, the curriculum should consist of the
27:. It replaces the abolished subject of religious/moral education in these schools and is compulsory in all schools: private and public. The aim of the subject is to develop ethical thinking and dialog skills in response to the changing religious/non-religious diversity of cultural communities in the Province. It also allows for all students to understand
164:, also launched a court challenge. Loyola High was challenging the fact that the Ministry of Education has not allowed it to teach what it deems an equivalent ethics and religion course better fitting the Catholic outlook of the school. It alleged that the Ministry had done so despite provisions in the law that would allow such an equivalent course.
141:
The
Evangelical Fellowship of Canada wrote a FAQ in layman's terms explaining what it saw as the issues at stake and how this court case differs from the Loyola one. Two court reports were published, one in English by a writer of the Catholic register , another more detailed in French by a parent in
57:
Secularists from the
Mouvement laïque québécois (Quebec Secular Movement) because they believe that ethics and religious culture should not be taught within a single course; also, they believe that teaching both of these subjects together induce people to think that it is not possible to behave
195:
Several polls had shown the Quebec population to be polarized around this course. While 45% opposed the course in
October 2008, 72% wanted parents to be able to choose the moral and religious training their children will get at school: the new ERC course or a traditional denominational religion
94:
A court case against the ERC curriculum was heard from 11 to 15 May 2009 in Quebec's
Superior Court in Drummondville. Two Catholic parents were challenging the school's refusal of an exemption for both their first grader and their sixteen-year-old who was in last year of high school. They were
73:
The
Coalition pour la liberté en éducation (Coalition for Freedom in Education), a coalition of parents drawn from different denominations who condemn the course for different reasons: they see it as relativistic, contrary to their
95:
arguing that the course's contents put their children's faith at risk by being premature, relativistic and polytheistic, and teaching ethics detached from the parents' moral framework. It was seen as a test case for Quebec parents.
31:(MELS ERC Curriculum LEARN QUEBEC). The program's twin paramount principles are Recognition of Others and Pursuit of the Common Good. It is also claimed that the course will promote a "culture of dialogue" among students.
208:
announced the formation of a grassroots organization to represent "a response of
Orthodox Judaism to the Ethics and Religious Culture program." The organization, calling itself the Council on Jewish Education in
334:
628:
681:"COALITION POUR LA LIBERTE EN EDUCATION (CLE) | Ethique et culture religieuse - Sondage Léger Marketing - Plus des trois quarts des Québécois pour le libre choix"
172:
175:
Gerard Dugre compared the attempt of the education minister to impose a secular emphasis on Loyola High School's teaching of the course to the intolerance of the
275:
179:: "The obligation imposed on Loyola to teach the ethics and religious culture course in a lay fashion assumes a totalitarian character essentially equivalent to
184:
78:
Many condemned the fact that the State is imposing a vision of morals and religion (or lack thereof), which has traditionally been the purview of parents.
512:"Quebec's Attorney General says nothing "about exemptions, alternate delivery or opt-out provisions except to denigrate them as potentially damaging""
338:
717:
217:
Code. The "Hade'ah
Vihaddibur" online Orthodox Jewish weekly newspaper reported a comparable sentiment expressed by the Israeli halakhic decisor
45:(CAQ) government was going to replace the project with a new curriculum which would shift the focus from religion toward culture and citizenship.
106:
The
Supreme Court granted the parents leave to appeal, but on hearing the merits determined that the appellants were unable to prove their case.
225:, in an op-ed published on June 6, 2009 (p. B6), noted that Quebec Jewish school curricula are exclusively loyal to the theology of the Torah.
680:
112:
Apart from the original parties, 8 additional parties were granted the status of interveners (a pointer is supplied to the party's factum):
257:
632:
557:
466:
406:
360:
572:"ERC at the Supreme Court of Canada: "The question then is: 'how are objections to be accommodated?' Not, 'how can they be ignored?'""
306:
242:
731:
709:
525:
374:
152:
The parents were awarded the
Catholics Civil Right League's yearly award for their defense of parents' free choice in education.
434:
616:
612:
571:
654:
585:
420:
511:
497:
761:
667:
321:
751:
309:
Quebec to replace ethics and religious culture class with program emphasizing Quebec values, critical thinking
161:
756:
291:
714:
669:
42:
171:
and is now exempt for the ERC course. It may teach its equivalent
Catholic course. On 18 June 2010,
684:
98:
The parents lost their court case and decided to bring their cause to the Supreme Court of Canada.
168:
736:
218:
498:"ECR en Cour suprême - Mémoire du Regroupement chrétien pour le droit parental en éducation"
38:, and has garnered some controversy. September 2008 marked the inauguration of this course.
205:
8:
726:
480:
276:"Quebec's ethics and religious culture course has 'aged poorly,' education minister says"
176:
196:
course. In May 2009, the proportion of Quebecers wanting this choice had risen to 76%.
61:
28:
532:
381:
551:
460:
441:
400:
354:
294:
Living Together With Differences: Quebec’s New Ethics and Religious Culture Program
222:
66:
721:
86:
Two legal challenges were launched against the compulsory nature of this course.
421:"ECR - Mémoire de l'Association canadienne des libertés civiles en Cour suprême"
134:
Fédération des commissions scolaires du Québec (did not present oral arguments);
745:
35:
258:"End of Quebec course on religion and ethics seen as win for nationalists"
149:
cannot conclude that the appellants have been able to prove their case."
599:
109:
The case was heard on 18 May 2011 by the highest tribunal in Canada.
214:
180:
210:
142:
favour of parents being exempt of this course if they so wish.
24:
586:"Quebec students must take ethics-religion course | CBC News"
23:) is a course taught in all primary and secondary schools in
737:
Ethics and religious culture: The New Post-Modern Catechism.
128:
Regroupement chrétien pour le droit parental en éducation;
34:
The project was adopted under the liberal government of
243:"Quebec axes high school course on culture and ethics"
145:
The Supreme Court heard the case and ruled that "...
53:The course has been opposed by three main groups:
600:"Home | Catholic Civil Rights League (CCRL)"
743:
183:'s being ordered by the Inquisition to deny the
137:Canadian Catholic School Trustees' Association.
199:
187:," the judge wrote in his 63-page decision
155:
89:
64:who accuse the program of being a kind of
481:"Coalition pour la Liberté en Éducation"
255:
131:Canadian Council of Christian Charities;
122:Coalition pour la liberté en éducation;
58:ethically without any religious belief;
744:
556:: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
465:: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
405:: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
359:: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
322:Motion text, verbatim and reports here
167:Loyola High won its court case at the
221:. Consistent with this response, the
119:Canadian Civil Liberties Association;
732:Ethics and Religion generates debate
287:
285:
256:Valiante, Giuseppe (8 March 2020).
13:
41:In 2020, it was reported that the
14:
773:
703:
282:
125:Evangelical Fellowship of Canada;
311:, article dated October 24, 2021
160:A private Catholic high school,
101:
715:Summary of the court challenges
673:
661:
647:
621:
606:
592:
578:
564:
518:
504:
490:
473:
427:
727:Quebec's new creepy curriculum
413:
367:
327:
315:
300:
268:
249:
235:
81:
48:
1:
228:
21:Éthique et culture religieuse
17:Ethics and religious culture
7:
116:Christian Legal Fellowship;
10:
778:
762:Multiculturalism in Canada
292:Education Canada website,
190:
29:Quebec's religious history
200:Jewish community response
156:Private school exemption
169:Supreme Court of Canada
90:Public school exemption
43:Coalition Avenir Québec
752:Religion and education
173:Superior Court Justice
720:29 March 2009 at the
219:Yosef Shalom Eliashiv
204:On May 28, 2009, the
206:Canadian Jewish News
757:Education in Quebec
710:Official curriculum
296:, by Nancy Bouchard
185:Copernican universe
177:Spanish Inquisition
62:French nationalists
655:"Montreal Gazette"
629:"Montreal Gazette"
602:. 21 October 2014.
307:CBC News website,
162:Loyola High School
769:
697:
696:
694:
692:
683:. Archived from
677:
671:
665:
659:
658:
651:
645:
644:
642:
640:
631:. Archived from
625:
619:
610:
604:
603:
596:
590:
589:
582:
576:
575:
568:
562:
561:
555:
547:
545:
543:
538:on 24 March 2012
537:
531:. Archived from
530:
522:
516:
515:
508:
502:
501:
494:
488:
487:
485:
477:
471:
470:
464:
456:
454:
452:
447:on 24 March 2012
446:
440:. Archived from
439:
431:
425:
424:
417:
411:
410:
404:
396:
394:
392:
387:on 24 March 2012
386:
380:. Archived from
379:
371:
365:
364:
358:
350:
348:
346:
337:. Archived from
331:
325:
319:
313:
304:
298:
289:
280:
279:
272:
266:
265:
253:
247:
246:
239:
223:Montreal Gazette
148:
67:Multiculturalism
777:
776:
772:
771:
770:
768:
767:
766:
742:
741:
722:Wayback Machine
706:
701:
700:
690:
688:
679:
678:
674:
666:
662:
653:
652:
648:
638:
636:
635:on 27 June 2010
627:
626:
622:
611:
607:
598:
597:
593:
584:
583:
579:
570:
569:
565:
549:
548:
541:
539:
535:
528:
526:"Archived copy"
524:
523:
519:
510:
509:
505:
496:
495:
491:
483:
479:
478:
474:
458:
457:
450:
448:
444:
437:
435:"Archived copy"
433:
432:
428:
419:
418:
414:
398:
397:
390:
388:
384:
377:
375:"Archived copy"
373:
372:
368:
352:
351:
344:
342:
341:on 11 July 2011
335:"Archived copy"
333:
332:
328:
320:
316:
305:
301:
290:
283:
274:
273:
269:
254:
250:
245:. 8 March 2020.
241:
240:
236:
231:
202:
193:
158:
146:
104:
92:
84:
51:
12:
11:
5:
775:
765:
764:
759:
754:
740:
739:
734:
729:
724:
712:
705:
704:External links
702:
699:
698:
687:on 9 June 2011
672:
660:
646:
620:
605:
591:
577:
563:
517:
503:
489:
472:
426:
412:
366:
326:
314:
299:
281:
267:
248:
233:
232:
230:
227:
201:
198:
192:
189:
157:
154:
139:
138:
135:
132:
129:
126:
123:
120:
117:
103:
100:
91:
88:
83:
80:
76:
75:
71:
59:
50:
47:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
774:
763:
760:
758:
755:
753:
750:
749:
747:
738:
735:
733:
730:
728:
725:
723:
719:
716:
713:
711:
708:
707:
686:
682:
676:
670:
668:
664:
656:
650:
634:
630:
624:
618:
614:
609:
601:
595:
587:
581:
573:
567:
559:
553:
534:
527:
521:
513:
507:
499:
493:
482:
476:
468:
462:
443:
436:
430:
422:
416:
408:
402:
383:
376:
370:
362:
356:
340:
336:
330:
323:
318:
312:
310:
303:
297:
295:
288:
286:
277:
271:
263:
262:National Post
259:
252:
244:
238:
234:
226:
224:
220:
216:
212:
207:
197:
188:
186:
182:
178:
174:
170:
165:
163:
153:
150:
143:
136:
133:
130:
127:
124:
121:
118:
115:
114:
113:
110:
107:
102:Supreme Court
99:
96:
87:
79:
72:
70:
68:
63:
60:
56:
55:
54:
46:
44:
39:
37:
32:
30:
26:
22:
18:
689:. Retrieved
685:the original
675:
663:
649:
637:. Retrieved
633:the original
623:
608:
594:
580:
566:
540:. Retrieved
533:the original
520:
506:
492:
475:
449:. Retrieved
442:the original
429:
415:
389:. Retrieved
382:the original
369:
343:. Retrieved
339:the original
329:
324:(in French).
317:
308:
302:
293:
270:
261:
251:
237:
203:
194:
166:
159:
151:
144:
140:
111:
108:
105:
97:
93:
85:
77:
65:
52:
40:
36:Jean Charest
33:
20:
16:
15:
82:Court cases
49:Controversy
746:Categories
229:References
639:4 October
718:Archived
552:cite web
461:cite web
401:cite web
355:cite web
691:18 June
617:English
345:21 June
215:Noahide
191:Surveys
181:Galileo
613:French
542:14 May
451:14 May
391:14 May
211:Quebec
147:
74:faith.
25:Quebec
536:(PDF)
529:(PDF)
484:(PDF)
445:(PDF)
438:(PDF)
385:(PDF)
378:(PDF)
693:2009
641:2018
615:and
558:link
544:2011
467:link
453:2011
407:link
393:2011
361:link
347:2010
69:101;
748::
554:}}
550:{{
463:}}
459:{{
403:}}
399:{{
357:}}
353:{{
284:^
260:.
695:.
657:.
643:.
588:.
574:.
560:)
546:.
514:.
500:.
486:.
469:)
455:.
423:.
409:)
395:.
363:)
349:.
278:.
264:.
19:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.