Exploring the Politics of Religious and Independent Schools in Canada
Date: October 23, 2025
Time: 3:30pm
Location: Zoom
Religious schools have long played a complex—and leading—role in Canada’s educational and political history. While once they were a mainstay within Canada’s education systems, today they exist alongside many purposes for schooling, constituting a portion of a pluralist landscape for education. While often controversial, the relationship between deeply held values and education is impossible to ignore—and increasingly relevant in our current social and political climate. What can we learn from our shared history?
On October 23, Joanna DeJong VanHof, program director of Cardus Education, engaged in a timely conversation delving into the place of religious and independent schools in Canadian society. We welcomed Dr. James Farney, co-author (with Dr. Clark Banack) of the new book Faith, Rights, and Choice: The Politics of Religious Schools in Canada. Together, the speakers unpacked the historical and political forces shaping educational pluralism—and what they mean for the future.
We were also joined by Étienne-Alexandre Beauregard, author and Cardus researcher, for a spotlight on Quebec. In a province with a unique history and relationship to religious expression, how should we think about educational pluralism? Is there common ground for advocates of independent schools and a common school system?
What can the rest of Canada learn from Quebec’s distinct experience?
How do values, rights, and freedoms intersect in our schools?
And what might the future hold for religious and independent education in a pluralistic society?
We will be posting a full recording of the webinar in the near-future. Thank you to everyone who attended!
