quebec will table legislation beefing up secularism rules: drainville
the education minister says the latest allegations of secularism laws being flouted are "completely intolerable and unacceptable."
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quebec — faced with a series of incidents where the province’s secularism laws are not being respected, quebec has decided to table new legislation reinforcing laicity in quebec. describing fresh revelations of the laws being flouted at st-maxime school in laval as “completely intolerable and unacceptable,” drainville announced on social media friday that new legislation is in the works.
“these acts of a religious nature clearly contravene the obligations of laicity,” drainville wrote. “it is hard to imagine the psychological impact that some of these acts have had on students.
“our public schools in quebec are secular. they must be places where students can learn and socialize without being subject to any pressure whatsoever to religious beliefs. our schools must also incarnate quebec values, particularly the equality between men and women to which we are profoundly attached, and for which we will make no compromises.
“we expect education personnel to respect these values, which are the foundation of the identity of quebec society at all times.”
drainville’s decision comes at the same time as investigations by education officials are underway into incidents at 17 schools in quebec, including some in montreal and laval.
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the report on those incidents is expected in january, but “i can already confirm, in the light of the accumulating events, that we are going to act,” drainville said.
“i am thus announcing today that our government intends to legislate to reinforce laicity in our quebec schools,” drainville said. “this willingness represents our desire to follow up on the mandate the premier handed the minister responsible for laicity (jean-françois roberge) and myself.”
drainville’s response follows a first round of allegations of incidents in october at bedford school in côte-des-neiges.
a government report concluded quebec’s secularism law, known as bill 21, was being flouted, and it suspended the teaching licences of 11 teachers at the school pending the conclusions of an investigation.
it then opened investigations of reports of religion emerging in other schools.
la presse reported friday on a series of new incidents at école st-maxime in laval where prayers were being held in classrooms and members of the staff speaking among themselves and to students in arabic.
la presse also reported there was great reluctance to teach students courses on sexuality.
meeting the media at the legislature later friday, drainville could barely contain his outrage over the new revelations.
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“this is not our quebec,” drainville said. “students who pray in classrooms during courses in the presence of teachers? corridors being used as prayer areas. classes on sexuality where students are heckled or where people set off firecrackers or the fire alarm?
“a student who said ‘you might convince me to speak french but never will you convince me to accept homosexuality.’ this is not our quebec, this is not our quebec.”
drainville then issued an appeal, asking all education personnel to denounce such situations as soon as they encounter them.
“the law of silence on secularism issues, the law of silence is over,” dranville said. “this law applies and now we are going to reinforce laicity in quebec schools.”
drainville, however, was vague on what more quebec can do, via a law, to curb such behaviour.
“i ask you to be patient,” he said. “i am announcing we will table a law in the new year which will target certain of these problem issues.
“the solution is to apply the law, to respect the law. and what happens when people don’t respect the law? there are sanctions. if the laicity law is not respected, if the directive on prayers is not respected, there must be sanctions. can i be any clearer?
“events are just accumulating. event, after event, after event. there’s enough facts now which have been brought to our attention to justify, yes, we will indeed strengthen secularism in our school system.
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“we obviously have issues with regards to behaviour or activities that are religious in nature which do not respect the law.”
the national assembly recesses for the holidays friday, which means drainville’s bill cannot be presented until the legislature resumes sitting on jan. 28, 2025.
at their own news conferences wrapping up the session, the opposition liberal and québec solidaire parties said, in principle, they were not opposed to the government’s announcement.
interim liberal leader marc tanguay said what is happening in schools is “worrisome,” so improving the laws may be a good thing.
qs co-spokesperson rhuba ghazal said her party is not opposed to a new law but said she wants to see more information on what happened. she herself attended saint-maxime school 30 years ago.
“before acting we need a good diagnostic (of the situation),” she said.
she also repeated the qs position that it is also important that the government put an end to funding of all religious schools in quebec.
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