The Necessity of the Voucher System

I would know considering I spent the past 14 years of my life in the system. During this time I have had teachers tell me that The Lion King was racist (my favourite childhood movie), 9/11 was an inside job, Israel is comparable to Nazi Germany, Jesus was a communist, and that Capitalism is an evil system (as if Socialism isn't). None of those views had anything to do with Catholic teaching or actual education.

Recently Dalton McGuinty thought it was wise of him to tell Catholic schools in Ontario that a gay club policy is non-negotiable. It leads many in this province to wonder: what is the point of having a separate Catholic school board is if it is not even permissible to assert Catholic religious doctrine.

McGuinty is a self-proclaimed Catholic but does not demonstrate what it means to be one; yet for some reason he believes he is the authority on what the Catholic schools can and can't teach. The problem with the Ontario Catholic school board is that due to public funding it has to mould itself to the ideals of the governing political party - in this case the Ontario Liberal Party.

One solution to this problem would be to give public education funds directly to parents in the form of vouchers. This would allow the parents to pay for the education of their children by spending this voucher in whichever education institution they wish.

If a voucher system were in place it would still allow schools to be publicly funded but it would give people in Ontario an actual choice as to what type of school they want to send their children to. This would also allow for people of other faiths or political ideologies to establish their own schools - whether it be a Sikh, Atheist or Communist school.

There are ideologies that I certainly disagree with but if there is a significant demand for one of these beliefs to establish a school then so be it. We do after all live in a free and open democratic society. If any of these schools were to engage in any type of ludicrous or illegal activity then the media would catch hold of such thing and the public would appropriately respond.

McGuinty wants to impose gay-straight alliances in the Catholic school board in order to appeal to his voter base. It doesn't satisfy him that the Catholic school board itself is already pretty watered down as it is. People leave the Catholic school system as an Atheist because the system itself does not even promote what it means to be a Catholic.

The worst part is the Teachers Union which McGuinty's wife is a part of is able to keep paying these teachers with the taxpayers money. None of them will get fired for indoctrinating students but rather will demand more if their needs are not met through strikes.

The voucher system allows for individual views to take hold rather then the ones of the government. Realistically people will always have different views and the best way to address that is not trying to impose what one considers ideal but rather to acknowledge our differences and accept them. If one is truly comfortable in knowing their beliefs are right then they should be able to handle criticism from those who disagree.

A gay student would feel more comfortable in the voucher system because they would have the choice to see which school is most favourable to their views. It makes no sense for a gay student to go to a Catholic school because they would not be able to fit the religious criteria but they have the choice to do so and with that comes following the religious doctrine.

The voucher system breaks from the tyranny of control and fosters individualism, a greater sense of identity, and an acknowledgment that not everyone you come across in life is going to agree with you.

The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author's own and do not necessarily represent those of The Prince Arthur Herald.

Want to respond to this article? Send a letter to the Editor (letters@princearthurherald.com).

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The Necessity of the Voucher System

by Andres Gallacher

15 February 2012