The bedrock for developing a respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms is universal public education.
However, since 1977, successive governments in British Columbia have sought to create a two-tiered education system through a public subsidy to independent schools. A majority of these schools are faith based, while others charge prohibitive tuitions. These barriers segregate society along sectarian and socio-economic lines. Further, the Government has a duty to protect the rights of children, recognized under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, in religious independent schools. Humanists have also welcomed innovative and experimental forms of education.
Under our call for an end to public funding of independent schools, the British Columbia Humanist Association:
- Supports the principle of public funds for public education;
- Opposes public funding going to faith-based education;
- Joins calls for the phase out of public funding to all independent schools;
- Supports greater innovation within the public education system; and
- Calls on the Government of BC to ensure:
- the religious neutrality of the Office of the Inspector of Independent
Schools,
- all independent schools meet comparable curriculum standards as public
schools and
- students in independent schools are free from discrimination and their
freedoms of religion and expression are protected.
Do you support our work? Donate to the Public Funds for Public Education campaign.
Join our call for public funds for public education
Latest news
Posted on
Blog by Ian Bushfield
· September 06, 2022
Despite the legal requirement that all schools be “strictly secular,” our initial review has found that only 7 of the 60 public school districts in British Columbia have a policy that explicitly limits religious proselytization in schools.
Posted on
News
· June 23, 2022
The BC Humanist Association today renewed its call for a Secular BC in its response to the finance committee's consultations for Budget 2023. In its response, the organization calls for an end to funding of religious and elite private schools, the end of the statutory property tax exemption for places...
Posted on
Blog by Adriana Thom
· October 25, 2021
While they receive hundreds of millions of dollars in public funding, private schools in BC are excluding LGBTQ2S+ parents, families and staff; teaching creationism and even banning Halloween and school dances, according to our latest analysis. In the first part of our three-part series, we looked at schools teaching creationism in science...
Posted on
Blog by Adriana Thom
· October 21, 2021
While they receive hundreds of millions of dollars in public funding, private schools in BC are excluding LGBTQ2S+ parents, families and staff; teaching creationism and even banning Halloween and school dances, according to our latest analysis. In the first part, we looked at schools teaching creationism in science classrooms. In this...
Posted on
Blog by Adriana Thom
· October 19, 2021
While they receive hundreds of millions of dollars in public funding, private schools in BC are excluding LGBTQ2S+ parents, families and staff, teaching creationism and even banning Halloween and school dances, according to our latest analysis. In this first part of our three-part series, we look at schools where the teaching...
Posted on
News
· September 27, 2021
In its response to the province's Budget 2022 consultation, the BCHA is calling on the Government of BC to end the funding of private schools and property tax exemptions for places of worship
Posted on
Blog by Ian Bushfield
· September 27, 2021
Despite the change in government in 2017, the handout of public funds to private schools has neither decreased nor even slowed down. Since the BC NDP formed government in 2017, funding increases for private schools have outpaced inflation every year. Further, the total growth in funding for private schools has...
Posted on
News
· September 07, 2021
A new analysis from the BC Humanist Association shows that nearly three of every four dollars of the over $400 million that the province gives to private schools goes to religious schools; nearly all which are Christian or Catholic. And of the 19.6% of the funding ($83.6 million) that goes...
Posted on
News
· April 20, 2021
Yesterday the Government of Canada released its 2021 budget and today the Government of BC released its budget.
The BC Humanist Association is celebrating investments in childcare, reconciliation and efforts to combat systemic racism.
Posted on
Blog by Ian Bushfield
· August 16, 2020
As the Government of British Columbia rolls out its Education Restart Plan, some students and parents are considering their own options for their return to school in September. A popular option is some form of homeschooling. Parents in BC have three main options for homeschooling their children: Enrolling in a...
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