Israel-Hamas conflict: Tension at Montreal’s Vanier College worse after Quebec’s investigation
Posted July 3, 2025 7:58 am.
Last Updated July 3, 2025 1:19 pm.
The director general of Montreal’s Vanier College says a recent government investigation into the climate at the school may have had a chilling effect on teachers.
Benoit Morin says the investigation exacerbated tensions at Vanier College, which has been under scrutiny since last fall due to complaints that the Israel-Hamas war had created an unsafe atmosphere on campus.
The Quebec Department of Higher Education published a report last week about Dawson and Vanier colleges that found the schools have little control over course content, including language classes focused on Palestinian culture.
The report says the Quebec government should pass a new law to regulate academic freedom in the college system.
But Morin says it would be a mistake to create an environment in which teachers censor themselves, and says teaching staff should be trusted.
The report also found that prayer rooms in colleges can foster radicalization and divisions between students, but Morin says he has not seen that at Vanier.
–This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 3, 2025.
This is a corrected story. A previous version said the report was published by Quebec’s Education Department. In fact, it was published by the Department of Higher Education.
