Place of religion: extending the Law on State Secularism to private schools is not excluded

The Legault government has not ruled out extending the Law on State Secularism to private schools, after having undertaken audits in 17 public establishments for alleged breaches of religious neutrality.

• Also read: Breaches of the Law on State Secularism: 17 schools in the sights of Quebec

It is by virtue of problems with Law 21, which notably prohibits teachers from wearing religious symbols and crystallizes the separation of the State and religions, that Minister Bernard Drainville was able to dispatch auditors to around fifteen places on Thursday. schools across Quebec.

Complaints from citizens, teachers and general directors of school service centers multiplied in the wake of the report which revealed the presence of a toxic climate imposed by 11 teachers, mainly of North African origin, in a Montreal school.

The establishments targeted by the sleuths of the Ministry of Education are all in the public school network since the legislation on secularism does not apply to private schools. For now.

Mandated by the Prime Minister to examine the place of religion in “all schools”, ministers Bernard Drainville and Jean-François Roberge are lifting all the stones to achieve this, without exception. Including the possibility of extending the Law on State Secularism to private establishments.

“The number one priority is that all schools, public and private, respect the school curriculum. We will not tolerate any deviation from the educational framework. We received the mandate to evaluate everything to strengthen secularism, particularly in our schools. We are analyzing all options,” said the office of the Minister responsible for Secularism.

His colleague from Education assures that he is currently working on “the private schools aspect”.

“The complaints received in recent weeks concerned public schools. We therefore act quickly with these denunciations. Now, we continue to work on the private schools aspect. Our priority is that all schools in Quebec respect the basic education regime. We will make announcements in due course,” he argued, in a statement sent to our Parliamentary Office.

Private religious schools

Solidarity MP Ruba Ghazal was delighted that actions were being taken to ensure the well-being and quality of education for students. “What happened at the Bedford school is unacceptable, so much the better if its denunciation helps to highlight other breaches of the educational regime,” she reacted in a press release.

The elected official from Mercier, however, invites Minister Drainville to add to his list of establishments subject to an investigation “the fifty private religious schools subsidized by the State”, in order to verify whether the program is taught there . “If the principle of secularism is not respected, we must stop giving them Quebecers’ money.”

Expanding the scope of Bill 21 to private schools is the position defended by the Parti Québécois, recalled PQ MP Pascal Bérubé. “The CAQ had refused,” he insisted on the social network X.