SJQS Committee Report

November 3, 1997

 The Honorable Stéphane Dion
President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
Ottawa, Canada K1A 1K2

Minister Dion,

The Diocese of Montreal of the Anglican Church of Canada has been an active partner in the Protestant education system in Quebec since its inception. We continue to nominate members to the Comité protestant du Conseil supérieur de l’éducation du Gouvernement de Québec. Most of the members of the Anglican diocese send their children to schools in the Protestant sector. We are pleased to respond to your invitation to go on record regarding the proposed changes to the Canadian Constitution.

The Diocese of Montreal of the Anglican Church of Canada considers it in the best interest of our Quebec society to move to a non-confessional administration in the school system. The amendments proposed to Article 93 by the Quebec government, which would remove the obligation for the Quebec government to have confessional school boards, seems reasonable to us and in keeping with traditional positions enunciated by the Anglican Church.

We would draw to your attention an affirmation that we have made previously to Madame Pauline Marois, Ministre de l’éducation, Gouvernement de Québec, that we support the position of the Canadian Jewish Congress, Quebec Region, in their position on this matter, specifically that they favour the creation of linguistic school boards and the establishment of a non-denominational educational system which respects the choice of parents to require that their children receive religious and moral education in conformity with their beliefs.

Further, we also hold that should denominational or religious education continue to be provided within the Quebec educational system, it is essential that the rule of equity prevail. We concur with the Canadian Jewish Congress, Quebec Region, that any reform to the educational system must ensure that Jewish students and Jewish parents receive treatment that is fully equal to that accorded members of the Catholic and Protestant communities.

 The above specific remarks follow from any Anglican conviction of long standing that the religious education of the children is primarily a family responsibility. Even more fundamental is our conviction that the State must exemplify and uphold the principle of equality before the law in dealing with the major religious traditions that have long been part of our Quebec community.

With best wishes,

Yours faithfully,

The Rt. Rev. Andrew S. Hutchison
Bishop of Montreal