Swiss Federal Court Bans Subsidies for Catholic Girls' school
The Federal Court sitting in Lausanne has withdrawn from the Catholic girls' school Saint Katharina of Wil (Canton of Saint-Gall) the possibility of receiving public funds, considering that being Catholic and reserved for girls, it practices "discrimination".
The Swiss Federal Court has ruled against the Catholic girls' school, Saint Katharina of Wil, denying it public funding on the grounds that it discriminates based on religion and sex. The court's decision claims that the school violates the principle of religious neutrality and promotes discrimination by being a single-sex Catholic institution.
Despite the fact that none of the religious activities in the school curriculum are compulsory, three of the five judges argued that the pupils were nevertheless being 'strongly guided' towards the Catholic faith, which in their view violated the principle of neutrality.
The school's teaching staff and many parents have expressed their indignation at the decision, arguing that the school does not impose religious beliefs on its pupils and that its educational model responds to a real demand from families.
One of the most debated aspects is the apparent contradiction in the application of the principle of neutrality. In 2015, the same Federal Court ruled against a ban on the use of the Islamic veil in a public school in the canton of St. Gallen, arguing that the restriction violated freedom of religion. Now, in the case of St. Katharina, it has applied a stricter interpretation of the same principle to justify the withdrawal of public funding.
Many political and social leaders have therefore criticised the ruling as applying a 'double standard', arguing that it reflects a bias against Christian institutions.
The case has a political component, as the plaintiffs are two members of the Wil Green Party.
The St Katharina School Foundation has announced its intention to appeal to international bodies, in particular the European Court of Human Rights. Its lawyers argue that the Federal Court's decision violates the right to education, the freedom of education and the autonomy of the cantons.
Source: reinformation.tv, Tagblatt
Image: infocatolica.com
Source press release: bger.ch