Bernard Drainville issues directives banning religious practices in public schools

MONTREAL – In a directive issued early Wednesday evening, Education Minister Bernard Drainville formally banned all religious activities in schools, vocational training centers and adult education centers.

Under the directive, all institutions governed by the Education Act will have to ensure that “no place is used, in fact or in appearance, for religious practices such as overt prayers or other similar practices.”

The letter points out that “the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms recognizes freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, the right to equality, [but also] the fundamental importance that the Quebec nation attaches to the secular nature of the State and the fact that human rights and freedoms are exercised in respect of the secular nature of the State.”

The directive also said that Bill 21 requires that school service centers respect the separation of the State and religions and that the development of places used for religious purposes is contrary to the spirit of the law.

The letter also states that every student must be protected “from any direct or indirect pressure to expose or influence the student to conform to a religious practice.”

Afin de préserver le caractère laïque de l’école publique, j’émets aujourd’hui la directive concernant les pratiques religieuses dans nos écoles publiques.

Les écoles sont des lieux d’apprentissage et non des lieux de culte.

Voici la directive ⬇️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/X9yUgmZiKH

— Bernard Drainville (@BDrainvilleQc) April 19, 2023

This follows the unanimous adoption of a motion in the National Assembly on April 5 that “the establishment of places of prayer, regardless of denomination, on the premises of a public school is contrary to the principle of secularism.”

Minister Drainville committed to issuing a directive to this effect on the same day.

This follows news reports that some high schools had set up rooms for students to pray.

“At the beginning of April, I was made aware of various prayer practices taking place in certain public schools in Quebec,” said Drainville in a short statement accompanying his directive. “In order to preserve the secular character of public schools, I am therefore issuing a directive today regarding religious practices in our public schools, vocational training centers and adult education centers. Schools are places of learning, not worship.”

RELATED
Muslim groups promise to monitor Quebec ban on school prayer spaces
Quebec education minister wants to ban prayer in classrooms

On Wednesday evening, a few opposition parliamentarians felt that the directive raised more questions than answers.

“Why did the CAQ [refuse] to subject “private” schools and CEGEPs to Bill 21?” asked the PQ MNA for Matane-Matapédia, Pascal Bérubé, on Twitter, who considers that the issuance of the directive was “the right thing to do” .

His colleague in Mercier, Ruba Ghazal, pointed out that it took two weeks for the minister to issue his directive while parliamentarians were unanimous on the situation.

She called Mr. Drainville’s directive “neither clear nor enforceable,” wondering if teachers would have to start “watching the corridors and schoolyards in case a student is praying”.

“Why not ban exclusive prayer rooms and allow meditation rooms that are open to all when requested and the space is available?” she asked.

In a press release, The Canadian Muslim Forum (FMC-CMF) called this a, “negative step [that]  increases the unfortunate impression that Quebec students are singled-out for their cultural and ethnic backgrounds based on which their basic rights have been infringed.”

“Moreover, this approach puts once again the educational environment within the political polarization in Quebec and in the circle of societal tension by imposing on Quebec students’ strong feelings of inferiority, injustice, and double standards.”

FMC-CMF is calling on, “all political parties in Quebec to work together to unify society and not to over targeting its students and youth and by giving the support and the green light impression for such directions.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on April 19, 2023.