Secularism: Minister Bernard Drainville’s bill divides opinion in Quebec

Minister Bernard Drainville’s bill, which aims to expand secularism in Quebec schools, is far from achieving consensus. While the list of people calling for the legislation to go further is growing, others are calling for its withdrawal altogether.

In a parliamentary committee meeting Tuesday morning, philosopher Normand Baillargeon expressed his hope that secularism would be extended “to private schools, religious schools, and daycare centers.”

“Schools must be places of training in critical thinking, embodied in this ideal of secularism and universality,” he said.

Baillargeon said his reflections regarding CEGEPs were not yet complete. “But for the rest, I maintain what I just said: the banning of religious symbols everywhere and for everyone, without any reservations. No compromise on accommodations or exceptions, such as prayer rooms,” he added in the National Assembly on Tuesday.

The feminist group Pour les droits des femmes au Québec (PDF Québec) is calling for “a complete ban on the wearing of religious symbols in schools by elementary and secondary school students, in both the private and public sectors.”

PDF Québec is calling for a ban on religious symbols in daycares and childcare centers for both children and staff, as well as a ban on places of worship in CEGEPs and universities.

Bill 94 plans to extend the ban on the wearing of religious symbols to all public school staff, as well as to those working under agreements with educational institutions. A grandfather clause is, however, included for all those already employed.

Education Minister Bernard Drainville has already ruled out extending the ban on religious symbols to students.

The minister said Tuesday that private schools will be considered at a later stage. “What we have already tabled regarding public schools is significant. So, we’re going to take it step by step,” he stated.

The legislation will also ban the full-face veil in public and private schools, for both students and staff.

Bill 94 was introduced in the wake of breaches of secularism observed in several Quebec schools, including Bedford in Montreal.

Two weeks ago, prominent sociologist Guy Rocher argued that the ban on religious symbols should be extended to students in Quebec public schools.

For its part, the Mouvement laïque québécois (MLQ) called for a ban on “religious clothing”—such as the hijab and the abaya—for students. France has already had a law along these lines since 2004.

The League for Human Rights and Freedoms (LDL) called on Thursday for the withdrawal of Bill 94, stating that it is “contrary to open and inclusive secularism and violates the rights and freedoms protected by the Quebec and Canadian Charters and by international human rights law.”

“By imposing forced secularization on individuals and excluding people from the public education system because of the expression of their cultural and religious affiliation, Bill 94 proposes an assimilationist model for managing pluralism,” said LDL spokesperson Diane Lamoureux on Tuesday.

In a letter published in La Presse on Tuesday morning, three former MPs, Françoise David (QS), Louise Harel (PQ), and Christine St-Pierre (PLQ), condemned Minister Drainville’s bill, arguing that it “will penalize women in particular.”

The CSN has also already called for the withdrawal of Minister Drainville’s bill, arguing, among other things, that it would worsen the staffing shortage in the network.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews