Canada's supreme court is due to hear a controversial case involving the granting of teacher-training degrees. Trinity Western University (TWU), based in Langley, British Columbia, is in conflict with the British Columbia College of Teachers (BCCT). The BCCT has refused the university the right to confer students with an education degree to qualify them to teach. Instead, students from the privately funded university have to attend the Simon Fraser University in the fifth year of their degree programme in order to obtain teacher certification.

The problem arises because the TWU is a Christian college which has a code of practice which the BCCT regards as likely to lead to discriminatory behaviour by TWU graduates. TWU bans homosexual activity on campus; the BCCT argues that this is likely to lead to graduate teachers in the public school system who discriminate against homosexuality.

TWU president Neil Snider says the issue is one of religious liberty.

Compiled from international sources by Janet Stafford