Funding for religious schools: Legault justifies his refusal of PQ motion

After blocking a motion from the Parti québécois (PQ) opposition demanding an end to public funding for private religious schools, Premier François Legault spoke out on Friday to justify his government’s position and denounce “the entry of Islamism” into schools.

The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government, which passed the secularism law, is currently under pressure following allegations of religious indoctrination practices in public schools in Montreal.

“The entry of Islamism into our public schools threatens our children’s right to receive a quality education that respects Quebec values,” the premier emphasized in his Facebook message, while noting that his education minister, Bernard Drainville, ordered checks and investigations this week at a school in eastern Montreal.

He also explained why his government voted against, along with Québec solidaire (QS), a PQ motion supported by the Liberal Party (PLQ) that called for an end to funding for private religious schools.

“This is a heavy question that must be considered carefully,” he argued. “It’s easy to say ‘religious schools,’ but what are we talking about? Are schools with a Catholic heritage considered ‘religious’? No responsible government would make such a commitment on a whim.”

He stated that he was open to discussing the issue “in good faith” with opposition parties. However, on Thursday in the National Assembly, he accused opposition parties of wanting to end funding for colleges with Catholic heritage, citing institutions like “Collège Brébeuf, Collège Notre-Dame, Collège Jésus-Marie, and the Petit Séminaire de Québec.”

Legault sparked confusion by referencing schools like Collège Brébeuf, which has been secular for years, the opposition noted.

The PQ motion did not only provoke the CAQ government; it also caused division within the Liberal Party, which had supported it.

The PLQ caucus had rallied behind the position of MNA Marwah Rizqy, reversing its historic support for public funding of private schools. However, leadership candidate Denis Coderre later disavowed this shift. He was followed by MNA Frédéric Beauchemin, also a leadership hopeful, who participated in the caucus discussions that led to this turnaround, stating he acted out of solidarity.

The PQ motion was broad in scope, calling for a strengthening of the state secularism law passed by the CAQ government, while the PLQ had voted against this law. It also demanded amendments to the Education Act and the Early Childhood Educational Services Act to enshrine the principle of secularism.

This controversy follows an investigation into Bedford School in Montreal, where a report indicated a group of teachers imposed their views at the institution and openly practiced Islam in class for years.