Religious teachings at St. James school to be allowed following vote by board of trustees
Some students at an elementary school in the St. James-Assiniboia School Division (SJASD) will be receiving 30 minutes of religious teaching this year after the board of trustees passed a bylaw Tuesday evening.
The board of trustees voted unanimously Tuesday to bylaw 326-23, which will see some students at Strathmillan School receive religious teachings over the lunch hour.
The program would be run by the Child Evangelism Fellowship, which is a faith-based group based out of Warrenton, Missouri.
The topic was discussed after a petition was brought to the board by area residents to allow the program. More than 25 signatures were gathered from parents of children at the school.
The SJASD previously told CTV News Winnipeg that as part of the Public Schools Act in the province, the board of trustees is required to pass the bylaw if the number of signatures is met.
The division added only children of the parents who signed the petition will take the program.
During the board meeting Tuesday, it was clarified that this program will only be in place for the 2022-23 school year and a new petition must be submitted again for the next school year if the program is to continue.
It was also specified that any person attending the school to teach the program must first pass a criminal record check before being allowed at the school.
Two of the trustees said they plan on attending one of the program sessions so that the board is aware of what is being taught and to ensure the school division's guidelines are being followed.
In a statement sent on Thursday from the SJASD Board of Trustees, they said they are seeking clarification from the minister of education about sections 80 and 81 of the Public Schools Act, the sections that required the religious program to be approved by the board.
"We remain committed to providing safe, caring and inclusive learning environments for our students that respect human diversity, while respecting religious diversity," the statement said.
The board added there will be no other details shared about the program at this time.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
'Tactical evacuations' underway near Fort Nelson, B.C., as wildfires encroach
The BC Wildfire Service says 'tactical evacuations' began Friday near Fort Nelson, B.C., due to an out-of-control wildfire that has grown rapidly since it was discovered earlier in the afternoon.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.