By SHEEMA KHAN

The Globe and Mail Newspaper. Saturday, September 15, 2007 – Page A23

In Grade 1, I used to sing God Save the Queen every morning at my Montreal public school. I would also stand in silence while the class recited the Lord’s Prayer. We rounded off our morning routine with an off-key yet heartfelt rendition of O Canada.

Later on, I transferred to another public school where we sang O Canada only. I quickly forgot about praying for the Queen. Yet I sorely missed beginning my day reflecting upon the majesty of God. In Grade 1, I didn’t pray to Jesus (he is regarded as a prophet in Islam) but to God alone. It had been a perfect way to start the day, in peace and humility.

In 2007, the only way to recite communal prayers in Ontario schools is to enroll in faith-based education, which currently receives no government funding – unless you’re Catholic. Ontario’s Catholic population has been granted this right as part of the British North America Act. However, multiculturalism and the Charter of Rights arrived in the 20th century. Non-Christian groups have been demanding a tiny sliver of the same government funding pie. Even the United Nations has ruled Ontario’s Catholic-only educational funding policy to be discriminatory.

The issue remained dormant until Conservative leader John Tory made a pre-election promise to level the playing field for those opting for non-Catholic religious schools.

The Liberals quickly warned of diverting precious funds from a public system under repair. Then came Premier Dalton McGuinty’s dire prediction of the unravelling of social cohesion if the government funds religious schools. According to this logic, Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec are doomed to produce ghettoes of insular communities on the cusp of social upheavals. Not to be outdone, the “God delusion” crowd has added a dollop of French laïcité to its morning latté, insisting on the atheism of public money. Not a penny should be given to religious schools, they argue. Let them subsist on sub-prime loans.

On the face of it, the issue is one of fairness. Why is only one religious group entitled to public money, while others are shut out? Other provinces have found ways to fund religious schools, making it more accountable and standardized by bringing it within the purview of the public system. Public schools have not crumbled, nor has there been a mass exodus to religious schools. But parents have more viable choice in how they educate their children.

Like those of other religious groups, a portion of Canadian Muslim parents wish to place their children in educational environments that imbibe religious values in harmony with their Canadian identity. There are Muslim schools in every major Canadian city, and the numbers are growing. These schools provide an environment conducive to daily prayer. During Ramadan, the schedule is eased for students who are fasting. A modicum of modesty (in dress and behaviour) is expected on the part of all students. Of course, not all is rosy. Some have financial problems, others can’t find qualified teachers. Student discipline is sometimes a problem.

Despite these problems, Muslim and other religious schools seek to nurture children’s spiritual and moral components. Does the public system have the luxury or the mandate to allow such exploration of spirituality, in this age of consumerism and self-indulgence? Most would answer no. Yet Quebec, the most secular province in the country, is about to embark on an innovative program that will allow students to do just that.

Looking back, I was not emotionally scarred by the morning prayers in Grade 1. Neither was my best friend, a Hindu, who chose to opt out. Listening to the Lord’s Prayer allowed me to relate to the spiritual calling of a faith different from my own – an experience that has served me well throughout life. And singing God Save the Queen instilled a sense of respect for authority.

I am a byproduct of an excellent public school system that taught me the strength of diversity and respect for differences. If there is one regret, it was the lack of time allotted for spiritual reflection. As a parent, I would like to provide my children with every opportunity for this.

The issue of funding for religious schools deserves to be studied in a calm, in-depth manner. We must avoid pre-election rhetoric and stop stigmatizing those who want the option. If adults cannot work together to find a reasonable compromise, what kind of example are we setting for our children?

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