Section 15 of the 1982 Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guaranteed equality to Canadians by April 17, 1985. This study was designed to investigate preparation during the three-year deferral period by federal and provincial/territorial governments to harmonize legislation in the area of education with the Charter's guarantees. (MT)

The report examines case law in both Canada and the United States with respect to the integration of exceptional pupils into regular classrooms, with particular emphasis given to three concepts: mainstreaming, least restrictive environment, and maximum benefit. Analysis of American and Canadian jurisprudence finds that all exceptional children…

The author argues for the delineation of children's and student's rights in Canada's proposed new federal constitution. He discusses the traditional legal status of schoolchildren and defines their welfare and option rights. (SJL)

Presents findings of a socio-legal research study focusing on areas of concern for educational planners under the 1982 Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The experts consulted identified seven major areas to watch for: fundamental freedoms, legal rights, equality rights, minority language educational rights, denominational school rights,…

Reviews the results of the October 26, 1992, national referendum on the Canadian constitution. Describes the impact of the results on the provinces of western Canada. Concludes that a new national election should be called to resolve further the constitutional issues. (CFR)

Canadian public education has become secularized. Although the Charter's language on freedom of conscience and religion prohibits religious indoctrination in schools, it does not proscribe education about religion. Generally, Canadian courts have followed and accepted American developments in this regard but have avoided byzantine judgments on…

Canadian public school boards still discriminate against homosexual educators. In British Columbia and Manitoba, recent court challenges raise questions about disciplining educators on the basis of sexual orientation and discussion of homosexuality in the classroom. Employment sanctions based on sexual orientation alone violate basic human and…

Both Protestant and Catholic residents of Ontario's school districts have historically had the right to establish separate public elementary school boards and schools, and to levy taxes to support those schools, under most conditions. Only recently have all major political parties in Ontario agreed to funding Catholic public secondary schools…

Addresses litigation launched by a wealthy school district against the Alberta (Canada) Ministry of Education, regarding legislation to increase fiscal equity among school systems. Reviews the concept of fiscal equality, financial plans to achieve this goal, and the Alberta funding structure. Describes proposed changes to the School Act. The…

In Ontario, Canada, the 19th-century educational imperative of indoctrinating public school students in a common Christianity became intolerable, given the province's increasingly pluralistic population. Most vestiges of religious practice and instruction have been swept from public schools. Religious minorities' preference for a unitary,…

This volume focuses on the challenge of multiculturalism and the politics of recognition facing democratic societies today, concentrating on the United States and Canada in particular. The initial inquiry by Charles Taylor considers whether the institutions of liberal democratic government make room for, or even should accommodate, recognizing the…

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that a state law compelling a child's attendance at a public school constitutes a violation of the parent's liberty interest under the 14th amendment. In Canada, however, courts have held that their equivalent to the 14th amendment does not encompass the liberty of parents to choose how to educate their children.…

The government of Ontario announced in 1984 that it would begin to fund Catholic high schools in 1985. Prior to this announcement, Ontario had operated since the 1800s under a system that provided for the public funding of a dual system of Protestant and Catholic public elementary schools and a single system of nondenominational secondary schools.…

This annotated bibliography lists 110 Canadian federal and provincial government documents published in 1991 that address a wide range of topics, including demographics; constitutional law; social issues, including problems of women, children, and minorities; education; the environment; and standard of living. A list of reviewers is included. (MES)

Reviews the present constitutional and statutory basis for the education of North American Indians in Canada. Examines the complex jurisdictional problems raised in the 1867 Constitution Act in the context of provincial legislation. Presents recent developments, including the 1982 Constitution Act. (NEC)