Religious-affiliated schools in Canada

Many parents consider sending their child to a religious-affiliated or faith-based school (we’ll use these two terms interchangeably). When making this decision, it’s important to start with the basics. What is a religious-affiliated school? And, how are these schools different from non-religious affiliated schools?

Well, as you might expect, religious-affiliated schools are associated with a religion or faith. There are several forms this association can take. We’ll go through each of these forms:

• Curriculum
• Religious observance
• Religious events

Curriculum

Religiously affiliated schools have what’s called a “dual-track curriculum.” Students must take a full range of secular courses (that is, traditional academic courses), such as math, science, and English. In addition to these courses, though, they typically also take required religion courses in the faith of the school.

In some schools, there will be one or two required religion courses per term, while in others more than a third of the curriculum might focus on religion (with the rest of the curriculum focused on secular subjects). In either case, the dual-track curriculum can be both challenging and rewarding for students.

Schools without a religious affiliation, on the other hand, don’t have a religious curriculum (at least a required one). Though they may have one or two religion classes, students won’t be required to take them.

Due to the separation of church and state, in Canada, the United States, and elsewhere, public schools can’t require students to take a religion course or engage in any religious practice. The one exception is public Catholic schools in Canada, some of which require students to take religion classes.

Religious observance

In some religiously-affiliated schools, students may observe religious customs, rites, and rituals. Whether students are asked to do this (and if so, what they’re asked to do), depends on how traditional a school is.

In more traditional schools, students might be asked to do the following things:

• Pray in school, or in a holy place, such as a church, synagogue, or mosque (which may be on or off campus).
• Take part in religious ceremonies (such as holy communion in a Catholic school).
• Observe a diet prescribed by the religion (such as only eating kosher food in a Jewish day school).

Even in traditional schools, though, students may not be required to engage in these practices, or to profess their belief in God. In fact, many schools don’t even require students to belong to the religion the school is associated with.

For instance, Northmount, a private Catholic school in Toronto, Ontario, has many students who aren’t Catholic. Chris Ruch, their director of admissions, estimates that 47% of their students aren’t Catholic. While Northmount focuses on Catholicism, and basic Christian values, students come from a wide range of backgrounds. And, it’s open to a wide range of views.

Jeremy Belanger, whose daughter Haylee goes to Burlington Christian Academy in Burlington, Ontario, values this kind of openness and flexibility in a faith-based school. And he appreciates these qualities in his daughter’s school. “There’s a theology and a set of beliefs they subscribe to. But there’s also some flexibility. They’re willing to talk about different views and beliefs. They’re also open to debate about some controversial issues.”

Religious events

Many schools have regular prayers, scripture readings, religious reflections, assemblies, and other religious events. Attendance might be required or optional. These events are likely to be teacher led at most levels. At the upper levels, though, they’re sometimes student led.

Kids also often take part in and celebrate religious holidays. For instance, in some Christian and Catholic schools, kids take part in nativity scene reenactments during Christmas and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ during Easter.

There’s a wide variety of religious-affiliated schools in Canada. Each is associated with a particular faith. Some of these are common, and some aren’t so common.

Beyond their religious affiliation, faith-based schools can be distinguished in several other ways. Some of the main ways are outlined below.

• Living arrangements
• Gender
• Private and public

Living arrangements
Some faith-based schools are regular day schools, where students go to school each day, and then return home. Some, on the other hand, are boarding schools, where students live on campus. And, other schools offer both day and boarding school options.

Gender
The majority of faith-based schools are coed, meaning they admit both boys and girls. Some are boys’ schools, though. And, others are girls’ schools.

Private and public
Due to the separation of church and state, almost all faith-based schools in North America are private. The exception is Catholic schools in Canada, many of which are public. Some Catholic schools, in numerous provinces in Canada, are fully funded by the government. They are part of the Catholic school board and considered public. Other Catholic schools aren’t funded, or aren’t fully funded, and so are considered private.

Parents need to pay for private Catholic schools (or at least pay for part of them), unlike public Catholic schools. That said, private Catholic schools can be a great option for many families.

Lauren Lowry moved her two kids, Oliver (age 11) and Thomas (age 7), from a public to a private Catholic school—Northmount school. She’s been extremely happy with the change.

“At Northmount, the curriculum is more demanding, and the teachers are more dedicated and passionate. There are also more enrichment opportunities than in the public school system. My kids now have better work habits and are more engaged in school.”

Beth Duffy also enjoys the unique advantages of a private Catholic school. Her kids, Rachel (grade 11) and Eddy (graduated) have thrived at Villanova college, a private Catholic school in King City, Ontario. “Villanova is a home away from home. The teachers are incredibly passionate and have helped my kids grow as persons. They experience life triumphs and defeats; that presents a lot of learning opportunities.”

This is not to say that private Catholic schools are a better fit than public Catholic schools for all families. But private Catholic schools do have some unique advantages, such as smaller class sizes, lower teacher-to-student ratios, more specialized instruction, and more extracurricular resources.

To learn more about private Catholic schools, see our guide to Catholic education. For a discussion of the pros and cons of private vs. public Catholic schools, see our coverage of private vs. public school.

In countries around the world, this specialized education is handled variously. For example, in Poland there are social schools where parents play a much larger role in their children's education. Many of these szkoly spoleczne w Polsce are associated with religious associations, as well as other non-profit organizations. Read more about social schools in Poland.

Religious-affiliated schools have a dual-track curriculum: they focus on both secular and religious studies. But how significant is the religious component of the curriculum? This varies between schools.

Here are some of the main options:

• A third or more of the curriculum may focus on religion. For instance, Claire Sumerlus, director of Robbins Hebrew Academy, in Toronto, Ontario, estimates that half of her school’s curriculum focus is on Hebrew and Judaic studies.


• Students may be required to take one or two religion courses per term, or a few a year. Students, in this case, may attend religion classes several times a week. At Oakville Christian Academy, in Oakville, Ontario, for instance, students go to bible class three to four times a week, according to principal Jeff Kennedy.


• Religion courses may be optional. This is very rare, though (a few high schools don’t have required religion courses). And even in this case, students often take part in other religious activities, such as prayers, assemblies, and scripture readings.

In addition to the question of how much of a school’s curriculum is focused on religious studies and how much on secular studies, there’s a separate question. This is the question of how a school delivers its content.

Unsurprisingly, different schools deliver content in different ways. That is, they have different approaches to teaching courses. Regardless of the approach, though, students still face the challenging task of mastering two kinds of subjects—secular and religious subjects.

Some of the main ways to deliver secular and religious curricula are discussed below.

Segregation versus integration

One approach to curriculum delivery is to segregate or separate the religious and secular curricula: part of each day is devoted to teaching religious subjects, and another part to teaching secular subjects. For instance, in a Christian school, a third of the day might be reserved for Christian studies, and two-thirds for secular studies, where subjects such as math, science, English, and French are taught.

One approach to curriculum delivery is to segregate or separate the religious and secular curricula: part of each day is devoted to teaching religious subjects, and another part to teaching secular subjects. Another approach to curriculum delivery is to integrate religious and secular curricula or teach them together (throughout the day).

Another approach to curriculum delivery is to integrate religious and secular curricula, or teach them together (throughout the day). For instance, at the lower levels, bible studies might involve counting the commandments, as a way to incorporate math. Or at the higher levels, the bible might be taught in a way that incorporates science—for instance, the concepts of space, time, or causality. Even on the integrated approach, though, it’s common for some subjects and concepts (both religious and secular) to be taught on their own.

Mark Kennedy, regional director of the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), believes that Christian schools should use the integrated approach whenever possible. “It’s important that some secular courses be taught from a Christian perspective. Or at the very least, this Christian faith should be in the background when teaching secular courses.”

Peter Bacardi, teacher and chaplaincy coordinator at Northmount School, agrees with this standpoint. Every attempt is made at Northmount to integrate the Catholic perspective into both the overall curriculum and into student life:

“We integrate the use of scripture with other areas of school life, such as the liturgies, character lessons, and daily prayer. Catholicism is a ‘comprehensive way of life’ that should animate every aspect of its activities and its curriculum. To deliver on the promise to provide students with a Catholic education, we must foster love for wisdom and truth, and must integrate this with faith, culture, and life.”

Usually, schools use a combination of segregation and integration. In this case, part of the religious curriculum is integrated with the secular curriculum, and part isn’t.

Traditional versus inquiry instruction

Another important part of curriculum delivery, separate from the issue of segregation, concerns how certain subjects are taught. The two main approaches to teaching subjects are traditional instruction and inquiry instruction.

On the traditional approach, there’s lots of direct instruction: teachers lecture to the whole class or large groups of students. The teacher’s main role is to impart knowledge to their students. The student’s main role is to acquire this knowledge and demonstrate they’ve done this.

On the inquiry approach, on the other hand, there’s less focus on direct instruction. Instead, students are encouraged to explore, solve problems, and make discoveries on their own.

Schools use either the traditional or the inquiry approach, or a combination of the two. Some schools use the traditional approach for some subjects (such as math), and the inquiry approach for other subjects (such as science). And, some schools use both the traditional and inquiry approach for some subjects.

Descriptive versus interpretive instruction

Another important part of curriculum delivery concerns the way religion is taught. Some schools teach religion more descriptively. For instance, the bible might be taught as a factual text that is literally the word of God. The task, then, is to understand and clarify its meaning.

Other schools have a more interpretive approach to teaching religion. For instance, the bible, or any religious text, might be taught as something that’s open to interpretation, discussion, or even debate. In this case, there’s a lot of focus on critical thinking, and arriving at conclusions based on one’s own reasoning. Some schools may even encourage students to debate the merits of their religion.

Religious-affiliated schools are a great option for many families. There are plenty of reasons to seek one out. Below, we discuss some of the main ones.

Reasons to seek out a religious-affiliated school

• Religious identity: Kids can develop their religious and cultural identity. Through religious studies, they can learn and come to value where they came from—their background, history, and lineage.


• Religious education: Kids get a strong grasp of their religion. This gives them a great foundation for future studies in it. It also allows them to apply religious principles and lessons to their life.


• Cohesiveness and community: Kids work and interact with peers with similar backgrounds, interests, and goals. This enables them to form close relationships and be part of a community. This can have both social and academic benefits.


• Safety: Kids work in a safe learning environment, with less violence and bullying. This is partly due to smaller classes and lower teacher-to-student ratios (two virtues of private school in general). It’s likely also partly due to the strong community ethic of faith-based schools.


• Challenging curriculum: The “dual-track” curriculum (similar to that of language immersion schools) is rigorous and challenging. This is especially true in schools where religion makes up a third or more of the curriculum, or where students need to learn a second language (as in Islamic and Jewish day schools). Also, many students find that the dual-track curriculum is rewarding and helps prepare them well for future studies.


• Special needs support: Many schools provide strong support for special needs students. For instance, significant support is often provided for students with giftedness, learning disorders, developmental disorders, behavioural problems, and physical disabilities.
  
  In fact, the level of support for students with special needs in faith-based schools is higher, on average, than what’s offered in schools with no religious affiliation. The following table provides data to support this claim, based on a large sample of Our Kids member schools:
  
  

  Level of special needs support	All schools (361)	Faith-based schools (54)
  Limited	39%	35%
  Mild difficulties	17%	9%
  Moderate	8%	12%
  High	19%	33%
  Very high	17%	11%

• Gifted learner support: Many schools provide strong support for gifted students (students who are in the 98th percentile in terms of learning abilities). In fact, the level of support for gifted students in faith-based schools is higher, on average, than what’s offered in schools with no religious affiliation.
  
  The following table provides data to support this claim, based on a large sample of Our Kids member schools:
  
  

  Level of gifted support	All schools (361)	Faith-based schools (54)
  None	55%	46%
  Moderate	12%	15%
  High	16%	19%
  Accelerated curriculum	11%	16%
  Very high	6%	4%

• General benefits: Faith-based schools have many of the same benefits of private schools in general. They often have smaller classes, lower teacher-to-student ratios, more specialized instruction, and more resources, among other benefits.

Religious-affiliated schools have plenty of benefits. And there are lots of reasons families seek them out. That said, there are some potential issues to be on the lookout for when selecting a religious-affiliated school. Below, we outline these issues.

Some cautions about religious-affiliated schools

• Less religious diversity: Kids typically don’t work with a diverse student body, in terms of religion.
  
  Yet, as mentioned, many schools are more diverse than is commonly believed. Also, lack of diversity is likely to be less of problem when kids are exposed to people from a wide range of backgrounds outside of school.


• Less focus on secular studies: In schools where a third or more of the curriculum focuses on religious studies, there’s less time for secular studies. This means kids will need to move through the secular curriculum more quickly than in schools with no religious affiliation. This can be a problem for some kids, especially those who struggle academically.
  
  Also, learning a second language, as is the norm in Islamic and Jewish day schools, can be difficult for some kids. It can lead to frustration and falling behind. On the other hand, many kids find learning a new language stimulating and rewarding. Also, as we’ve discussed, many schools provide significant support for kids who struggle.



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Religious-affiliated schools have plenty of benefits. And there are lots of families who seek them out. That said, there are some potential issues to be on the lookout for when selecting a religious-affiliated school.

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• Narrow-minded thinking: Focusing on one religion can lead to narrow and single-minded thinking. Especially if the teaching approach is more authoritative, some kids may be less prepared and willing to think critically and consider different ideas and worldviews. On the other hand, most schools tend to be quite permissive in their teaching approach, and as mentioned, go out of their way to avoid dogmatism.


• Teaching approach: Some schools teach some subjects in a way that doesn’t seem to reflect current research. For instance, some traditional schools may not teach evolutionary biology, may teach it as an equally viable option to creationism (the view of the origins of life taken from the bible), or may teach creationism instead of evolution.
  
  On the other hand, this is not as common as many believe. As the table below indicates, the approach to teaching evolution in faith-based schools is not much different from schools with no religious affiliation.
  
  

  Approach to teaching evolution (Our Kids schools)	All schools (157)	Religious-affiliated schools (24)
  Evolution as consensus theory	55%	46%
  Evolution as one of many viable theories	25%	41%
  Evolution not taught	20%	13%



• Cost: These schools, like all private schools, can be expensive. That said, on average, religious-affiliated schools tend to be cheaper than other private schools. And often, as we’ll discuss below, financial support is available for these schools in the form of subsidies and tax breaks.

Suitability for religious-affiliated schools

Religious-affiliated schools have numerous virtues. And, they’re a great fit for many students.

Below, we outline which students seem especially suitable for these schools. Just remember: there’s more to picking a school than just the points below. This table is meant to stimulate your thinking, not replace it. Moreover, what’s most important is to look closely at any prospective school, to gauge whether it’s a good fit for your child and family.

In your search for the right faith-based school, it’s important to speak with teachers, educators, and your child.

Start looking at schools early, as much as a year before applying. You can research them here on this site (starting with our list of schools), on school websites, at open houses, during on-site visits, at our annual school expos, and other venues.

Questions to ask religious schools
There are some key questions to ask schools you’re looking into.

Beyond these, there are also specific questions to ask faith-based or religious schools. These include:

Many religious-affiliated schools, like other private schools, offer some form of funding. The two main kinds of funding they offer are needs-based and merit-based financial aid.

Needs-based aid
If you can demonstrate need, some schools help finance your child’s education. They might offer you a subsidy (also called a “bursary”) to help you cover tuition, and possibly even room and board (if your child is in a boarding school).

Needs-based financial aid is not tied to any merit-based criteria. Moreover, applying for needs-based aid won’t affect your child’s chances of admission. Usually, a school will first decide who they want to admit, and only then turn to the question of aid. Also, most schools will have a third party assess your financial aid application.

If you’re unsure whether you’re eligible for aid, you should ask. Schools tend to offer aid to more families than many people think.

Merit-based aid
Some schools offer merit-based financial aid. Based on certain criteria, such as academic performance, athletic achievements, and extracurriculars, students may be awarded a scholarship that helps subsidize their education.

Scholarships tend to provide less support than bursaries. But every little bit helps. So if your child is eligible, don’t be afraid to apply. We list available scholarships on our website, and update the list frequently.

Tax relief
Religious schools, like all other private schools, don’t offer tax deductions or credits. Some, though, allow you to reduce your taxes indirectly. Since some of these schools are registered as charities or associated with a charity, you may be able to claim a tax credit for tuition, as a charitable contribution. Check with prospective schools for more details.

To learn more about tax breaks for private schools in general, see our tax relief guide. For general advice on affording private school, see our paying guide.