All citizens have right to public money

LETTERS

For some time now I have considered commenting on some comments such as were made by Patricia Pargeter (Jan. 25 Letter to the Editor) re: private Christian schools.

My late wife and I sent seven children through a Christian school — a fact-based Christian school where the Alberta curriculum is taught, the same as in public schools. The only difference is it is taught with a Christian background, while in the public schools it is taught with a modernday religion that says “I will decide what is right and woe unto you if you don’t adhere to it. You will be ridiculed and attacked, because I am my god; I know what is right.”

And only that makes a well-rounded student?

As far as fact, science is always changing. Darwin was wrong on several theories (National Geographic, 2004). The same article states, “The fossil record is like a film of volution from which 999 of every 1,000 frames have been lost on the cutting-room floor.” One-thousandth accuracy is shaky evidence.

Regarding critical thinking, I am a critical thinker; that is why I wrote this letter. My children are critical thinkers. They don’t always agree with their father. Not all critical thinkers come to the same conclusion. We read and hear that in the news every day.

No, Christian schools do not produce zombies. Like the public schools, we have well-educated students. But I believe there is more to a human being than the mind.

Critics of Christian schools believe that public money belongs to public schools. All the years our children have gone to a private school, we have never taken a dollar from the public system. In fact, we have subsidized the public system. We have our own buildings, our own buses, pay our own operating costs, and receive only 75 per cent of the education grant. Imagine how much that would cost the government if they had to pay it all. The budget for education would be much leaner than it is now.

Yes, we have subsidized public schools to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars. My late wife and I have done without to do that. Besides, I have paid school taxes since 1973 and still do. And our society has subsidized the public system to the tune of millions of dollars.

All lawful citizens of Alberta, whether rich or poor, have the same right to public money.

Tony Ouwerkerk

Lethbridge