The introduction of new provincial legislation is expected to bring a long-awaited resolution to the issue of secular schooling in Morinville.
The St. Albert and Sturgeon Valley School Districts establishments act is to be tabled in the legislature today. Little is known about what the bill proposes to do or what effect it might have on local boards.
Education Minister Thomas Lukaszuk, who first revealed several weeks ago that the legislation was in the works, was to speak about the bill afterwards. At the time Lukaszuk declined to reveal what the legislation entails, but said it would resolve the issues of school choice, access to adequate facilities and voting rights for parents.
“They found a solution that will address all three issues, but in order to implement that solution, legislation has to be introduced,” he said of the Morinville secular schooling issue.
Lukaszuk also said then that he favoured a solution to the problem that would come from the local school authorities.
“I was always very clear that the best decisions are made at a local level,” he said. “It is a joint effort, as a matter of fact kudos really go to those three school boards because they are the ones that hammered out a deal that was very difficult to do.”
Lauri-Ann Turnbull, chair of Greater St. Albert Catholic Schools, said Tuesday she had been briefed on the contents of the bill, but had agreed not to reveal any of those contents until the bill was revealed.
Reached Tuesday morning, Sturgeon School board chair Terry Jewell said he was expecting a briefing on the new bill later that afternoon, but also said he would be bound not to reveal the details until Wednesday afternoon.
The debate over the issue formally began in Nov. 2010 when a delegation of parents concerned about the religious permeation in Morinville schools came to the Catholic board asking for an exemption for their children.
The Catholic board serves as the public and only school board in Morinville and operates all four of the community’s public schools.
The board exempts students from religion classes at parent request, but religion does permeate other areas of study and the board told parents they could not opt their children from that.
A temporary resolution was reached this year with Sturgeon School Division opening the Morinville public elementary school. The Sturgeon Division operates the school, which was first run out of the board office and now operates out of modular classrooms, on the Catholic board’s behalf.
Donna Hunter was one of the original campaigners looking for a secular school. She moved out of Morinville last year when it appeared the board would not find a resolution.
She said she sees no need for the new legislation if the public board in Morinville simply allowed students to opt-out of religious instruction.
“I really can’t tell you what I want in this bill, because I don’t think there needs to be a bill.”
When pressed however, she wants a resolution that will allow a truly secular education in the community.
“What needs to be in this bill is that Morinville is served by a public school division where we have voting rights, where going to a public school doesn’t mean you are a non-resident student.”
