Quote:
Originally Posted by MarchHare
Back in 1867, schools were run by churches, not the government. Parents in Quebec, which at the time was predominantly Catholic, did not want their children educated by Protestants. Accordingly, in order to get Quebec to join Confederation, the right to a Catholic education was granted constitutional protection. Obviously that is no longer relevant today because public education is the domain of the government, not the church.
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Whether run by church or state, the same constitutional provision that protects Catholic (French speaking minorities education) rights in the rest of Canada also protects anglophones' right to education in English in Quebec where many of those students aren't from a Protestant denomination.
It was (is) about protecting minority rights to their language and religion for the founding cultures. However, funding and therefore access in each province is all over the map as you noted. Alberta is very generous to the Catholic minority.