Parents who complain that a mandatory public school course contradicts their religious views have taken the provincial government to court. The "Ethics and Religious Culture" class covers Quebec's Catholic and Protestant religious heritage, as well as other faiths represented in the province, including Judaism, Native spiritualism, Islam, and Hinduism.
Excerpted from CBC News
A court case that will test Quebec's controversial mandatory ethics and religion course opened on a dramatic note Monday when one of the plaintiff's key witnesses fainted as he took the stand and was forced to submit his testimony in writing instead.
The witness's parents – who can't be named because their children are minors – are challenging the mandatory course in Quebec Superior Court, arguing it should be optional for students who hold different religious views.
Their children are currently taking the "Ethics and Religious Culture" class as required under new Quebec rules that took effect in September 2008.
The mother, who took legal action against the course, believes its contents are too relativistic and confusing for children who are receiving religious instruction outside the school.
When her eldest son was called to the stand Monday in front of a packed courtroom in Drummondville, he complained of dizziness as he walked toward the witness box.
He fainted just as his mother rushed to his side, prompting the judge to rule the boy could submit a written statement instead of being questioned about his experience in the class.
He is one of tens of thousands of Quebec students taking the ethics course, which was designed by Quebec's education ministry to replace moral and religious education classes from Grade 1 to Grade 11. ... Read the full article here.