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
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
The pros and cons of discussing mental health issues in the workplace
A group of lawyers has written what they call a groundbreaking book about how mental health is perceived in the legal profession.
Explosion at train station leads to discovery of stolen car on Montreal's South Shore: police
Police are investigating after a BMW exploded in the St-Lambert Exo train station parking lot on Montreal's South Shore.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
A candidate for Germany's key party was beaten up while campaigning for European elections
A candidate for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left party in next month's election for the European Parliament was beaten up and seriously injured while campaigning in an eastern city, the party said Saturday.
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.