A Minority Right?
No! It’s a Majority Privilege!
Any discussion of the separate school issue and what to do about it today must take into account the origin of separate schools, over 150 years ago. So see the page “How Ontario Arrived Here”
MINORITY RIGHTS
An editorial in a leading newspaper referred to the laws which govern Roman Catholic separate schools as “minority rights.” It stretches the imagination to view the largest religious organization in the province as a “minority.” The “minorities” are more properly Hindus, Jews, Serbian Orthodox, Muslim, Anglican, etc. and they, as religious minorities, have no rights.
Politically, a “right” is an entitlement enjoyed by all citizens as outlined in charters of rights. A “privilege” is an advantage (or immunity) enjoyed by an individual citizen or group of citizens.
Minority “rights” not specified in charters of rights (for example, handicapped persons) are really privileges; they are advantages or immunities enjoyed by a group.
MAJORITY PRIVILEGE
Publicly-funded separate schools for Roman Catholic citizens represent a privilege given to the largest religious organization in Ontario, the majority.
When talking about publicly-funded Roman Catholic separate schools, we are not talking about minority rights, we are talking about majority privilege.
No charter of rights would ever grant a privilege.
Privileges are anathema to rights.