An appeal for elimination of all courses in Ottawa schools “which teaches for commitment the doctrines of a religion” has been made by the Jewish Community Council of Ottawa. The appeal was made in a brief submitted to a Government Committee on Religious Education in Public Schools at a hearing here.
The Council also said there was considerable opportunity in Ottawa’s “wide and varied school program” for teachers “to build character and to implant moral values.” The Council said such school efforts should be encouraged and that the teachers should be assisted in such efforts “without recourse to religious sectarian dogmas which are not acceptable to all.”
The brief said that comparative religion as a goal “towards which we can strive” should be approached “with great care and caution.” The brief added that the Council had “grave doubts whether there is such a thing as objective teaching in religious matters, totally free of bias, even under the best of circumstances.” The Ontario government committee is headed by Keiller MacKay, former lieutenant governor of Ontario and Supreme Court Judge. Judge Harry Waisberg of Toronto is a committee member.
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