The Quebec government has put forward a bill that would extend the province’s ban on the wearing of religious symbols to support staff in schools, and prohibit students from having their faces covered.
If passed, the legislation would extend the ban to all staff in public schools and school service centres, not just teachers and principals, as is the case under the exisiting secularism law, known as Bill 21.
The stricter rules apply to workers on school grounds, including those who provide care to students enrolled in before and after-school care, as well as secretaries and cafeteria cooks. A historical clause for staff already in their position is included in the bill.
Education Minister Bernard Drainville said the legislation is an attempt to strengthen secularism after reports of problems involving religion in some schools. He told reporters that schools in Quebec must respect the “values of Quebec.”
“In Quebec, we made the decision that state and the religion are separate. And today we say the public schools are separate from religion,” said Drainville, a staunch advocate for secularism who drafted the bill.
Ban on face veil for students
The legislation would also prohibit Muslim girls from wearing a full face veil. The bill’s explanatory notes says students will be obliged to “have their face uncovered when they are on the premises placed at the disposal of a school, a vocational training centre or adult education centre or a private educational institution.”
The same rule on face coverings would apply to parents picking up their children from school.
It wasn’t immediately clear how many students and staff would be affected by these changes. Drainville said he didn’t know how many students or staff would be affected by the ban but that it was the “principle, not just the number.”
A recent report found problems maintaining a secular environment at 17 schools. The report cited one instance where a student was wearing a full face veil.
The legislation includes a provision that would require teachers to be subjected to an annual review.
The explanatory notes say teachers will be obliged to “submit instructional planning to the principal of the institution and the obligation for the principal to evaluate teachers each year.
Some provincial politicians are accused of pouncing on religion for political gain after a controversy at a Montreal elementary school was made public. In just a matter of days, the focus has shifted to secularism after 11 teachers were suspended for allegedly creating a toxic environment for students and staff.
Bill condemned by Muslim groups, unions
The legislation was swiftly denounced by Muslim groups and unions representing school support staff.
Shaheen Ashraf, a board member member of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women who wears a headscarf herself, said it’s a woman’s right “to wear what she wants to wear.” She said the legislation will alienate Muslim women who want to contribute to society.
“The message that is sent is, ‘don’t participate in my society, stay home, don’t pay my taxes, don’t be a good citizen, just isolate yourself,'” she said.
The Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN), a Quebec-based union federation, said the new rules amount to an attack on the “fundamental rights of workers.”
Union president Caroline Senneville said the bill “reinforces discriminatory dress codes for school staff.”
