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MONTREAL – A controversial Quebec school course teaching children about ethics and world religions does not infringe on the freedom of parents seeking to raise their children as Catholics, the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled.

The high court dismissed an appeal from parents in Drummondville, Que. who had sought to have their children exempt from the mandatory course when it was first introduced in 2008. They had complained the Ethics and Religious Culture course forced children to learn material that did not reflect their religious beliefs.

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Writing for the majority, Justice Marie Deschamps said the parents failed to show that the ERC course interfered with their ability to transmit their faith to their children.

“Parents are free to pass their personal beliefs on to their children if they so wish. However, the early exposure of children to realities that differ from those in their immediate family environment is a fact of life in society,” Judge Deschamps wrote.