text: Actually I do understand them. Their origin goes back to the BNA act and was intended to ensure that the Catholic minority in Upper Canada was able to maintain their religion in the  face of a Protestant majority. Not unlike Muslims facing a Christian majority today wouldn't you say?
  
  Although the difference is that Muslims aren't asking for a whole separate school system, they are asking for a room, one day a week. And what's even better is that the Muslim students are part of the same diverse school as all the other kids from all different backgrounds, and they are all learning the same subjects side by side. They aren't having their education framed in a religious context unlike publicly funded Catholic schools today.
  
  You do know that the checkbox on your property tax is only to indicate which board you vote for in municipal elections right? It has nothing to do with where your tax dollars go.
  
  How's that? No research necessary.