Journal Article

Politics and Religion

McGregor, Michael, Lucas, Jack, Davidson, Adrienne

2020

Overview

This article explores the factors associated with support for a merger of Ontario’s two publicly funded school systems (secular and Catholic). Drawing upon survey data from over 2,000 Ontarians, it investigates the sociodemographic and attitudinal correlates of opinions toward school system reform. We find evidence that both political attitudes and religious identities are associated with school system attitudes, but that religious identity—specifically Catholicism—has a much more powerful impact. Our findings suggest that coalitions of support and opposition to a school system merger in Ontario are complex and not driven by a single obvious cleavage. Cet article explore les facteurs associés à l’appui d’une fusion des deux systèmes scolaires publics de l’Ontario (laïque et catholique). En nous appuyant sur les données d’une enquête menée auprès de plus de 2000 Ontariens, nous étudions les corrélations sociodémographiques et attitudinales des opinions concernant une réforme du système scolaire. Nos recherches démontrent que les opinions politiques et les identités religieuses sont associées à différentes postures au regard du système scolaire, mais que l’identité religieuse – en particulier le catholicisme – a un impact beaucoup plus puissant. Nos conclusions indiquent que les coalitions qui soutiennent et s’opposent à une fusion des systèmes scolaires en Ontario sont motivées par des idéologies complexes et non par un seul clivage évident.

• Publisher: Canadian Society for the Study of Education,Canadian Society for the Study of Education (CSSE)
• Subject: Academic Accommodations (Disabilities) / Acquisitions & mergers / Attitudes / Boards of Education / Catholic Educators / Catholic schools / Catholicism / Catholics / Cleavage / Coalitions / Consolidated Schools / Education / Education policy / Educational Change / Educational Equity (Finance) / Educational Finance / Educational Policy / Elections / Elementary schools / Foreign Countries / Funding / Government (Administrative Body) / Grade 9 / Identity / Interest groups / Local elections / Minority Groups / Organizational Change / Political Attitudes / Political parties / Politics of Education / Postsecondary Education / Protestants / Provinces / Public Opinion / Public schools / Public Support / Religion / Religion & politics / Religious attitudes / Religious Cultural Groups / Religious Education / Religious identity / Religious Schools / Roman Catholicism / School boards / School Districts / School systems / Secondary School Teachers / Secondary Schools / Secularism / Sociodemographics / Students