Politics and Religion - Identifying the Correlates of Support for Merging the Public and Separate School Systems in Ontario

Oct 15, 2026

This article examines factors linked to support for merging Ontario’s two publicly funded school systems—secular and Catholic—using survey data from over 2,000 Ontarians. It analyzes sociodemographic and attitudinal correlations with opinions on school-system reform. Findings show political attitudes and religious identities both relate to views on the reform, but religious identity, especially Catholicism, exerts a far stronger influence. Results indicate support and opposition coalitions are complex and not explained by a single clear ideological divide.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages29

Reading Time1 h 13 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

School Board Politics—the Case of Ontario

Politics and Religion: Identifying the Correlates of Support for Merging the Public and Separate School Systems in Ontario Adrienne Davidson Queen’s University Jack Lucas University of Calgary Michael McGregor Ryerson University Abstract This article explores the factors associated with support for a merger of Ontario’s two publicly funded school systems (secular and Catholic) . Drawing upon survey data from over 2,000 Ontarians, it investigates the sociodemographic and attitudinal correlates of Canadian Journal of Education / Revue canadienne de l’éducation 43:1 (2020)©2020 Canadian Society for the Study of Education/ Société canadienne pour l’étude de l’éducation [www.cje-rce.ca](www.cje-rce.ca) opinions toward school system reform. We find evidence that both political attitudes and religious identities are associated with school system attitudes, but that religious identity—specifically Catholicism—has a much more powerful impact. Our findings suggest that coalitions of support and opposition to a school system merger in Ontario are complex and not driven by a single obvious cleavage. Keywords: religious education, public opinion, Ontario Résumé Cet article explore les facteurs associés à l’appui d’une fusion des deux systèmes scolaires publics de l’Ontario (laïque et catholique) . En nous appuyant sur les données d’une enquête menée auprès de plus de 2000 Ontariens, nous étudions les corrélations sociodémographiques et attitudinales des opinions concernant une réforme du système scolaire. Nos recherches démontrent que les opinions politiques et les identités religieuses sont associées à différentes postures au regard du système scolaire, mais que l’identité religieuse – en particulier le catholicisme – a un impact beaucoup plus puissant. Nos conclusions indiquent que les coalitions qui soutiennent et s’opposent à une fusion des systèmes scolaires en Ontario sont motivées par des idéologies complexes et non par un seul clivage évident. Mots-clés : éducation religieuse, opinion publique, Ontario Canadian Journal of Education / Revue canadienne de l’éducation 43:1 (2020) [www.cje-rce.ca](www.cje-rce.ca) Introduction Denominational schools are one of the few truly perennial issues in Canadian politics. From the Confederation conferences ofthe early 1860s to debates about public support for minority religious schools today, the politics of public funding for separate schools has shaped Canadian politics, political parties, and election outcomes through the full sweep of Canadian history. Despite profound changes to the Canadian educational system since Confederation, three provinces—Ontario, Alberta, and Saskatchewan—continue to maintain a system in which both public (secular) and religious (Roman Catholic) school boards coexist alongside one another within a larger public system. Despite an enormous body of scholarship on the history, politics, and policy implications of Canadian denominational schooling, we know surprisingly little about public opinion on denominational schools in Canada today. Recent public opinion polls suggest that support for the maintenance of the separate school system may be slipping; in a 2017 poll, for instance, 43% of Albertans, 40% of Saskatchewanians, and just 30% ofOntarians supported the continued existence of the separate system (Bourne, 2017) . These overall rates of support are interesting, but they tell us little about who supports the separate system. Is opinion on the issue divided along partisan or ideological lines? Are religious believers more supportive of the system than non-believers—and how does this vary across religious groups? Does exposure to the separate system as a parent with children in school affect opinion on the issue? Answers to these questions would provide a clearer picture of how the public thinks about denominational schools in Canada today as well as the groups that are likely to line up in support or opposition to major reforms to

FAQs

What does the article investigate about Ontario’s school systems?

It investigates which factors are associated with support for merging Ontario’s secular and Catholic publicly funded school systems.

What data is used to analyze public opinion?

The study draws on survey data from over 2,000 Ontarians in major cities, using the Canadian Municipal Election Study (CMES).

Which influence is found to be stronger: political attitudes or religious identity?

Religious identity—specifically Catholicism—is found to have a much more powerful impact than political attitudes on school-system attitudes.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Anna Hans