Supporters
Organizations supporting the OSSN Vision include:
The Green Party of Ontario Policy Position
"School board duplication hurts Ontario students, Green Party says" April 13, 2007
Canadian Civil Liberties Association Fostering a More Tolerant Society: A joint statement against the funding of religious schools
CCLA Brief against Public Funding of Religious Schools
Letter to Kathleen Wynne Re: Public Funding of Religious Schools
Alberta One School SystemContact: Scott Rowed rowed(at)telusplanet(dot)net, Bruce Godwin bgodwin(at)telus(dot)net
Australian Council for the Defence of Government Schools D.O.G.S.Learn more
Humanist Association of Canada 
Oraynu Congregation for Humanistic Judaism Policy Position
Press Release, September 21, 2007
Equal Marriage for Same Sex Couples End public funding of Catholic schools - Give support to Education Equality in Ontario" April 9, 2007
Secular Ontario Contact Henry Beissel, President
Halton-Peel Humanist Community Contact Elka Enola, President
Elka Enola's Speech at Press Conference July 30, 2007
Independent Individuals supporting the OSSN Vision include:
Noam Guberman, TorontoBrian Stavert, Mississauga
Peter Aruja, Ottawa
Edward Ackad, Toronto
Edith Woodbridge, Harrow
Paula Conning, Orangeville
Nancy Halbert, Bradford
Anne Nunes, Mississauga
Gregory Smith, Guelph
Kathy Meidell, Waterloo
Zak Fiddes, Toronto
Politicians supporting the OSSN Vision include:
Gail McCabe PhD RSSW NDP Candidate for Provincial Parliament, Mississauga-Streetsville READ GAIL'S BIOGRAPHY
E-mail: mccabe@yorku.ca - Phone: 905-339-9063
Gail McCabe's Position Statement supporting OSSN
The following school boards have passed motions supporting the One School System for Ontario:
Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
Grand Erie District School Board
Lambton-Kent District School Board
Avon-Maitland District School Board
Bluewater District School Board
Rainbow District School Board
Superior-Greenstone District School Board
Niagara District School Board
Hamilton-Wentworth District School BoardThe following are letters of support sent out from individuals to the media or politicians. Please feel free to use these for ideas in writing your own. Visit Get Involved for other ideas on how to contribute
In response to "John Tory puts faith in school religion, July 24"
I was concerned to read of John Tory's invitation to Bill Davis to create a way for faith-based schools to be funded by public monies should the Progressive Conservatives win the next provincial election. The party's support for this is aimed at garnering votes from members of faith traditions by providing the same support to them as is available to Catholic schools. However, the decision made under Davis's leadership launched us in the direction of privileging particular segments of society that may not represent the beliefs or values of the whole.
The Catholic system receives public funding, yet it teaches doctrinal positions that discriminate against women and homosexual/transgendered individuals under the guise of "religious education." Rather than continuing to grant public monies to groups whose values are contrary to those widely held by Ontarians, the current Liberal government should make a move to withdraw funding for faith-based schools altogether.
Gretta Vosper, Chair, Canadian Centre for Progressive Christianity, Pickering
Provincial election campaigning started to heat up with John Tory's promise to have a Progressive Conservative government that will attempt to bring private religious schools into the public fold after former premier Bill Davis investigates the implementation of full public funding by 2010.
Ten short years ago, the same PC party under Mike Harris utterly dismantled and disrupted our public education system, leaving it in financial and administrative shambles, and now it wants "to reach out to parents and children currently outside our public education system." The best way that Tory or any future premier could help our education system is to fully fund and fix a broken public school system. Tory's notion that providing full public funding for schools that divide and separate children according to their religion is in some way unifying is preposterous and is a promise that any government could not afford to keep.
Glenn Anderson, Toronto
John Tory can't have it both ways. At Toronto's gay pride parade, he was glad-handing everyone he met. But this week, he announces that his party supports public funding of schools operated by faith groups that condemn homosexuals.
His party seems not to care for a strong educational system that emphasizes equality, encourages a variety of educational approaches to meet diverse needs, and stays clear of divisive ethnic or religious positions that should never be supported with public funding.
What will Tory do next to get votes?
Lawrence Pushee, Toronto
John Tory deserves credit for tackling the problem of religious education in our public school system. But what our children desperately need is not religious education but rather education about religion. They need to become literate in the world's religions, and more aware of the beliefs, values and practices that shape contemporary Canada.
To do so requires presenting these religions in a neutral light, something the public system, not religious schools, can best guarantee.
James Miller, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ont.
How about taxpayers not funding any faith-based religious institutions? Public education is the great equalizer in society. A publicly funded education system is the best method of ensuring that everyone has at least a fighting chance to achieve success.
Let's talk about a single public school board, where all of Ontario's children would be free to meet, befriend and know children of other faiths, including those with no religious affiliation.
And let's ignore the blatant attempt at buying votes in the religious community at large.
Dale M. Peacock, Huntsville, Ont.