ABSTRACT
In Canada’s public schools, education about religion that does not indoctrinate in a particular faith is legally permissible and does not violate the constitutional right to freedom of religion. The 1990 Canadian Civil Liberties Association decision provides helpful guidelines to distinguish between learning about religion and indoctrination. Relevant Supreme Court of Canada jurisprudence also sheds light on education about religion in Canadian schools. The 2017 E.T. judgment from the Ontario Court of Appeal is a reminder that parental religious beliefs cannot undermine inclusive curricula in public schools that make space for sexual and gender minorities. Finally, sound pedagogical reasons exist why education about religion is important to help students navigate in a culturally and religiously diverse modern world fraught with misunderstanding, tension, and conflict.
