PPM 108a

REGULATION TO AMEND
REGULATION 262 OF REVISED REGULATIONS OF ONTARIO, 1980
MADE UNDER THE
EDUCATION ACT

  1. Section 4 of Regulation 262 of Revised Regulations of Ontario, 1980 is revoked and the following substituted therefor:
    Opening or Closing Exercises

    4.-(1) Every public elementary and secondary school shall hold opening or closing exercises.

    (2) Opening or closing exercises shall include 0 Canada and may include God Save the Queen.

    (3) Opening or closing exercises may include the following types of readings that impart social, moral or spiritual values and that are representative of Ontario's multicultural society:
    1. Scriptural writings including prayers.
    2. Secular writings.

    (4) Opening or closing exercises may include a period of silence.

    (5) No pupil enrolled in a public elementary or secondary school shall be required to take part in any opening or closing exercises where a parent or guardian of the pupil or the pupil, where the pupil is an adult, applies to the principal of the school that the pupil attends for exemption therefrom.

  2. -(1) The heading to section 28 of the said Regulation is revoked and the following substituted therefor:
    Religious Education in Public Schools

    (2) Subsection 28(1), subsection 28(2), as remade by section 21 of Ontario Regulation 617/81, and subsection 28(3) of the said Regulation are revoked.

    (3) Subsection 28(4) of the said Regulation is amended by striking out "in addition to the time assigned to religious exercises at the opening or closing of a public school" in the first, second and third lines and inserting in lieu thereof "in each public school".

    (4) Subsection 28(10) of the said Regulation, as remade by section 21 of Ontario Regulation 617/81, is amended by striking out "any religious exercises or" in the first and second lines and by striking out "of the pupil" in the fifth line.

    (5) Subsection 28(11) of the said Regulation, as remade by section 21 of Ontario Regulation 617/81, is amended by striking out "religious exercises are being held or" in the fifth and sixth lines and inserting after "education" in the sixth line "is being".

    (6) Subsection 28(12) of the said Regulation, as remade by section 21 of Ontario Regulation 617/81, is amended by striking out "religious exercises or" in the fifth and sixth lines.

    (7) Subsection 28(13) of the said Regulation, as remade by section 21 of Ontario Regulation 617/81, is amended by striking but "religious exercises or" where it occurs in the first, second and fourth lines.

  3. -(1) The Heading to section 29 of the said Regulation is revoked and the following substituted therefor:
    Religious Education in Secondary Schools

    (2) Subsection 29(1), subsection 29(2) as remade by section 22 of Ontario Regulation 617/81, and subsection 29(3) of the said Regulation are revoked.

    (3) Subsection 29(8) of the said Regulation is amended by striking out "taking part in religious exercises or" in the third line and by striking out "exercises or" in the fifth line.

    (4) Subsection 29(9) of the said Regulation is revoked.

Terms of Reference
One-Person Ministerial Inquiry on Religious Education
in Ontario
Public Elementary Schools

Whereas section 28(4) of Regulation 262 made under the Education Act requires Ontario public elementary schools to conduct two half-hour periods each week of religious education, and in view of recent interpretations of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Minister of Education will appoint a one-person inquiry to:

  • review the existing policy with respect to religious education;
  • identify curriculum options for an appropriate religious education policy for the public elementary schools which responds to the multicultural and multifaith nature of the population of the province;
  • identify appropriate teacher preparation strategies to support the proposed curriculum options;
  • examine religious education policies of other Canadian provinces;
  • examine the 1969 Report of the Committee on Religious Education in the Public Schools of Ontario and reports of other similarly-mandate inquiries from other Canadian provinces;
  • conduct extensive consultation with interested parties;
  • make recommendations to the Minister of Education with regard to the adoption of a religious education program policy.

The one-person ministerial inquiry shall make-its report and recommendations to the minister on or before January 31, 1990.

January, 1989