It is not mandatory for Ontario public schools to provide a mosque for Muslim students

One version of the Facebook post, archived here, states that Renu Mandhane, Chief Commissioner of the OHRC, said it is “mandatory to provide a mosque in public schools if a Muslim student demands that facility.” Another version, archived here, claims Mandhane has notified public school boards across Ontario that they “must provide” an Islamic prayer room.

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Screenshots taken on May 21, 2019 showing three false Facebook posts

According to CrowdTangle, a social media monitoring tool, the post pictured on the left was shared in March 2019, but has since been removed from this Canadian yellow vest Facebook group. The version of the post on the right can also be found on Facebook here, shared to a group for supporters of Canadian opposition politician Maxime Bernier.

There is no evidence on the OHRC website or on Mandhane’s official Twitter account that she has sent the notifications described in the false posts.

Yves Massicotte, Information Officer at the OHRC, told AFP by email, “Neither the OHRC nor the Chief Commissioner have ever said or ‘notified school boards across Ontario that is now mandatory to provide a mosque in public schools.’ There is no such mandatory requirement.”

Accommodation for prayer in Ontario public schools

This is the OHRC’s policy statement explaining the duty of schools to accommodate students’ religious practice.

“The Ontario Human Rights Code requires that schools consider individual requests for religious accommodation and provide accommodation, which could include some time and space for an individual to pray, unless it would cause undue hardship,” Massicotte told AFP.

When assessing hardship, the policy statement says that schools should consider three factors:

1. Cost
2. Outside funding, if any 
3. Health and safety requirements, if any

The OHCR gives the following examples of how a school might accommodate observance:

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Screenshot taken on May 21, 2019 of the OHRC policy statement on religious accommodation in schools

Massicotte also emphasized that the OHRC requires that schools “maintain an environment that is free of pressure or compulsion in matters of religion and belief.”

Heather Irwin, senior media relations coordinator for the Ontario Ministry of Education, told AFP by email: “All publicly funded school boards must comply with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Education Act and their respective regulations.”

Each school board must have religious accommodation guidelines in place, according to Irwin.

Carla Pereira, Director of Communications for the Peel District School Board, which oversees 257 schools in Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga, Ontario told AFP by email, “None of our schools operate mosques inside of them.”

Pereira sent AFP a copy of the district’s religious accomodations procedure. It states: “Students and staff of any faith background can request religious accommodation. Accommodation will be provided on a case by case basis.”

She said that if Muslim students request to gather for Friday prayers the typical accommodation would be to allow them to gather in the cafeteria or a classroom.

This is a link to the guidelines for religious accommodation issued by the Toronto School District Board, which oversees 582 schools. It states: “The Board continues to follow the legal requirement that religious exercises and indoctrination shall not occur in its schools. However, there are requests for religious accommodation that can be accommodated. For example, students are not required to attend school on a religious holy day.”

The policy goes on to detail an example of a specific accommodation at the Valley Park Middle School where, at the request of the predominantly Muslim community, the school provides “unused space for prayer.”

OHRC Chief Commissioner Mandhane

According to the OHRC website, Mandhane was appointed Chief Commissioner in October 2015, not recently as one of the posts falsely claims. This is the government’s press release on her appointment.

This 2015 profile story from The Star newspaper states that Mandhane was born in Calgary, Canada. This is Mandhane’s official OHRC biography.

This website explains that OHCR commissioners are appointed by the Ontario Lieutenant Governor, who in 2015 was Madeleine Meilleur. Neither Prime Minister Justin Trudeau nor Ontario Premier Doug Ford played a role in Mandhane’s appointment.

What can be concluded?

Staff members and students of all creeds can make requests for religious accommodation from public school boards in Ontario, but there is no single policy for all Ontario schools and public school boards have no obligation to provide a mosque.

According to the Ontario Ministry of Education’s Irwin, “District school boards and schools work with their communities in making appropriate accommodations that are sensitive to the religious beliefs and practices of their students and staff. Boards have the autonomy and flexibility to make accommodations on a case by case basis, based on individual requests.”