Catholic students and staff from the region raised thousands of dollars this year to support faith-based education in areas of Canada where pursuing such learning is financially difficult for some families.
Holy Trinity Catholic School Division raised the money during Catholic Education Week this year during the “Toonies for Tuition” program that the Canadian Catholic School Trustees’ Association (CCSTA) organized.
Saskatchewan won the overall fundraising title — it raised the most per full-time equivalent student — although an Alberta school division raised the most nationwide. Moose Jaw’s Holy Trinity was one of three school divisions provincially to raise $4,000 or more — $5,000 on the nose.
Catholic trustees from Holy Trinity briefly discussed the initiative during their board meeting in late June.
“From Holy Trinity’s perspective, it (the campaign) was excellent,” said education director Ward Strueby, noting the division nearly reached its goal of $5,500.
Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario are the only places to fully fund Catholic education with public money, so Toonies for Tuition helps families in other provinces pay for their children to attend independent schools, he continued.
Holy Trinity has learned that when immigrant families come here, those newcomers are unaware that Saskatchewan funds public and separate school divisions, the education director said. So, the division shares this information with the Newcomer Welcome Centre in Moose Jaw and Swift Current so they can share this news with immigrants.
Some immigrant families believe they must pay for their children to attend Catholic schools, which is why some kids switch to a separate school after their parents learn education here is free, Strueby added. Moreover, the division works with its community parishes to ensure families know they can attend a Catholic school.
One way is it helps maintain families’ rights to choose their children’s education.
The CCSTA explained that the Church has always emphasized and defended parents’ rights and responsibilities in educating their families, while the Catholic school system has always upheld these teachings. However, some areas of Canada are losing funding for such education, removing a fundamental choice in education.
“As we’ve lost public funding in various areas of Canada, it is our duty to do everything we can to ensure the right to a Catholic education remains equal among families of every socioeconomic standing,” the CCSTA said.
The second way the program helps is it creates a deeper sense of community.
The CCSTA explained that it’s an emotional experience for families to receive funding through the Toonies for Tuition program, knowing that other Canadians want their children to receive a Catholic education.
“The beauty of this experience lies not just in the dollar amount allotted — but in families realizing they are part of an authentically Christian community of people who were willing to shoulder their financial burden to give them an equal chance of the education they deserve,” the organization said.
The third way the program helps is it enables Catholic schools to change people’s lives.
There are roughly 800,000 students in Catholic schools across Canada, meaning thousands of young people — with “searching souls and an unfolding story” — are privileged to meet Jesus Christ in the halls and classrooms of their school, the CCSTA said.
“There are young people encountering the Gospel, learning about our faith, being educated in body, mind and spirit — thanks to Toonies for Tuition,” the organization added.
The fourth way the program helps is by supporting school systems in provinces that receive no public funding, the CCSTA said. Giving help to these independent schools means they don’t have to cover daily operational costs alone.
