Should religion be allowed in Manitoba public schools?
A petition to let the Child Evangelism Fellowship teach in Greenway School during lunch time has raised red flags with Winnipeg School Division trustee Lisa Naylor.
"Is there a recruitment kind of process going on in the school? Are children being encouraged to bring their friends along and bring them into the religious program? What are the messages in the curriculum?” said Naylor.
Naylor said the wording regarding the public schools act is outdated and has wanted it changed for about a year.
Right now, it's written school divisions shall authorize religious instruction. Naylor wants it changed to may authorize religious instruction.
David Hudson is the chair of the Child Evangelism Fellowship which operates in dozens of schools. He said they also come to schools based on parents’ interest and said there is nothing for parents to fear.
"We are here to teach children and help parents who want teach children on how to be better citizens, how to be better kids, things like bullying and stealing," said Hudson.
He said the public school act works because it accommodates minority religious groups.
Winnipeg School Division trustee Mike Babinsky doesn't want the law changed either.
"People confuse us and they say they shouldn't be mixing religion with education. We are not. It's two separate things. They rent a room off us to talk about God,” said Babinsky.
But Naylor said it's time to put the power in the hands of the school division.
She said the Winnipeg School Division has students coming from all different kinds of religious backgrounds. “We need to support our students with what they are experiencing," she said.
Parents will also get a chance to have their say at a Winnipeg School Division meeting hearing on Monday, April 20.
Parents and taxpayers wishing to speak can find contact information on the Winnipeg School Division site.
The motion will be voted on the first week of May.
