Hamilton Spectator – November 4 2018 – Doug Sikkema & Dr. Beth Green – Far from the common misconceptions, these private schools are helping young Ontarians become more socially engaged and more generous
More than six per cent of children in Ontario are enrolled in independent (nonpublic) schools. In the 1960s, such independent school enrolments made up a mere 1.8 per cent of the student population. Six per cent might not seem like much, but the long-term trend in Ontario is a steadily increasing independent school population.
And on the face of it, increasing enrolment in the so-called elite bastions of privilege that are independent schools seems to be a clear symptom of all of our diseases.
But what if this assumption about independent schools is wrong? What if such education is good for all of us?
The recent Ontario findings in the 2018 Cardus Education Survey are helpful in clearing some of the misconceptions of independent schools. The study looks at public, separate Catholic, nonreligious independent, and independent Christian schools (both Protestant and Catholic).
