Your tax dollars at work

What Canada supports with tax dollars and what Americans are willing to support are two very different things.


Take public schools as an example.


There are 4 public school systems in the province of Ontario:  the French public system, the French Catholic system, the English public system and the English Catholic system.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Catholic schools are publicly funded in the province of Ontario.  I don't know why Catholic schools have been chosen as opposed to other religions, but my understanding is that it was a political decision in the 70s.  


The French system is different than the immersion program than E attends.  The French system is for Francophone parents, that is, for parents who speak French to their children at home.  And, we aren't Catholic.  (Sorry, Sylvia.)  The only system E and S are eligible for are the English public system.  


E attends a lovely French immersion program at a local elementary school. It is a half-day program (next year, all schools are scheduled to move to full day, but this transition has been problematic).  Her teacher is delightful and teaches now entirely in French, and the program is set up that she will not be instructed in English until grade 4.  Beginning in grade 4, she will receive an hour of instruction in English a day, and that will gradually increase until she is fully bilingual.  If we were scheduled to be here until she graduated from high school, her diploma would be be a bilingual diploma.  


It seems inconsistent to me, though, that they would publicly fund only Catholic schools yet include ALL holidays on their public school calendars. Shouldn't the Province then fund all religious schools? 

Maybe next year I can send E to the French Immersion Wiccan school. Or maybe I've just been watching too much True Blood.


P.S. I heart Eric Northman. And Blessings Be.