Majority
oppose public funding for Catholic schools
Strongest among youngest, wealthy, in Toronto, among NDP
supporters
TORONTO July 8th,
2015 - In a
random sampling of public opinion taken by the Forum Poll™ among 678 Ontario
voters, more than half disagree that Catholic schools should continue to
receive public funding (51%). Just more than a third support continued public
funding (38%) and one tenth don’t have an opinion (11%).
Opposition
to public funding is strongest among the youngest (62%), mid-income groups
($60K to $80K - 63%), in Toronto 416 area code (57%) but not in Northern
Ontario (35%), among the least educated (57%), among non-mainline Christians
(60%), those of other religions (66%) and non-believers (69%) but not among
Catholics (17%).
Support
for funding is especially characteristic of boomers (55 to 64 - 44%), the least
wealthy (43%), the wealthier ($80K to $100K - 48%), PC supporters (46%), those
with children (42%) and, not surprisingly, Catholics (76%).
“We have tracked this issue for several years,
and opposition to funding is always at about one half, while support is nearer
one third. If it were ever put to a public referendum, Catholic school funding
would lose, fair and square," said Forum Research President, Dr.
Lorne Bozinoff.
Lorne Bozinoff,
Ph.D. is the president and founder of Forum Research. He can be reached at lbozinoff@forumresearch.com or at (416)
960-9603.
