Drainville confirms ban
with government directive
The Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville, officially orders all school service centres to prohibit the construction of prayer rooms in classrooms. In his directive, adopted by the Council of Ministers on Wednesday, the elected official says that
"no place" of a school should be used for prayer.
"In order to preserve the secular character of public schools, I am therefore issuing today a directive concerning religious practices in our schools, vocational training centres and public adult education centres. Schools are places of learning, not places of worship," Drainville said in a statement released late in the day.
Very clearly, Quebec ordered service centres and other institutions to ensure "that no place is used, in fact or appearance, for religious practices such as overt prayers or other similar practices."
In early April, Cogeco Nouvelles first reported that Laval high schools, among others, had set up classrooms in classrooms, while groups of students prayed in inappropriate places, such as stairwells or parking lots.
Then, 98.5 FM quoted the testimony of an employee of the School of International Education who claimed that a teacher had improvised himself as an imam and that girls had been refused entry to the premises. Minister Drainville said at the time that a room dedicated to prayer should be accessible to all students, regardless of their faith or gender, before changing his mind.
In the days that followed, heated debates took place in the National Assembly. In particular, parliamentarians adopted a motion proposed by the PQ. The text of this motion stipulated in particular that "the establishment of places of prayer, regardless of confession, on the premises of a public school goes against the principle of secularism".
'Incompatible' with religious neutralityMr. Drainville's directive states, in particular, that "the development of premises used for religious practices in a public school, vocational training centre or adult education centre is incompatible with the principle of the religious neutrality of the State."
"According to the principle of freedom of conscience, a student has the right to be protected from any direct or indirect pressure aimed at exposing or influencing him so that he conforms to a religious practice," the Minister also states, recalling that a representative of the State "may not, in the exercise of his functions, favour one or more religions, for example, by supervising
or otherwise endorsing the organization of religious practices."
Ultimately, "the development of places used for religious practice is likely to have an impact on the proper functioning of schools, vocational training centres and adult education centres," notes Mr. Drainville.
If this directive is not respected, then it will be up to the director general of the school service centre to take "the necessary means to ensure that the appropriate corrections are made by the principals," concludes the Minister of Education.
Beyond the school network, Quebec "does not intend" to ban rooms of contemplation where students can pray in CEGEPs and universities, said the office of the Minister of Higher Education, Pascale Déry.
"The problem persists," worries the PQIn the Parti Québécois (PQ), MP Pascal Bérubé welcomed Wednesday the decision of the minister, demanding, however, that the directive apply to all institutions. "It was the decision that had to be made. Having said that, I still wonder why CEGEPs and private schools are not subject to Bill 21. These practices will continue in these schools, the problem persists," he said.
"The CAQ has such a strong prejudice about private schools that protects them from any provision for the common good in terms of secularism," continued Mr. Bérubé, calling on Quebec to "reopen Bill 21" to add CEGEPs and private schools.
"Right now, it's creating a distortion," he said.
At Québec solidaire (QS), education critic Ruba Ghazal lamented that Minister Drainville took
"two weeks to write a directive that lacks clarity and seems unenforceable."
"We will create more problems than anything else: will teachers have to monitor corridors and playgrounds in case a student gathers? Why not simply ban rooms exclusively reserved for prayer and allow healing rooms open to all when requested
and premises are available? " she insisted.
The office of the interim leader of the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ), Marc Tanguay, said in the evening that he will take "the time to analyze the directive before commenting."
"no place" of a school should be used for prayer.
"In order to preserve the secular character of public schools, I am therefore issuing today a directive concerning religious practices in our schools, vocational training centres and public adult education centres. Schools are places of learning, not places of worship," Drainville said in a statement released late in the day.
Very clearly, Quebec ordered service centres and other institutions to ensure "that no place is used, in fact or appearance, for religious practices such as overt prayers or other similar practices."
In early April, Cogeco Nouvelles first reported that Laval high schools, among others, had set up classrooms in classrooms, while groups of students prayed in inappropriate places, such as stairwells or parking lots.
Then, 98.5 FM quoted the testimony of an employee of the School of International Education who claimed that a teacher had improvised himself as an imam and that girls had been refused entry to the premises. Minister Drainville said at the time that a room dedicated to prayer should be accessible to all students, regardless of their faith or gender, before changing his mind.
In the days that followed, heated debates took place in the National Assembly. In particular, parliamentarians adopted a motion proposed by the PQ. The text of this motion stipulated in particular that "the establishment of places of prayer, regardless of confession, on the premises of a public school goes against the principle of secularism".
'Incompatible' with religious neutralityMr. Drainville's directive states, in particular, that "the development of premises used for religious practices in a public school, vocational training centre or adult education centre is incompatible with the principle of the religious neutrality of the State."
"According to the principle of freedom of conscience, a student has the right to be protected from any direct or indirect pressure aimed at exposing or influencing him so that he conforms to a religious practice," the Minister also states, recalling that a representative of the State "may not, in the exercise of his functions, favour one or more religions, for example, by supervising
or otherwise endorsing the organization of religious practices."
Ultimately, "the development of places used for religious practice is likely to have an impact on the proper functioning of schools, vocational training centres and adult education centres," notes Mr. Drainville.
If this directive is not respected, then it will be up to the director general of the school service centre to take "the necessary means to ensure that the appropriate corrections are made by the principals," concludes the Minister of Education.
Beyond the school network, Quebec "does not intend" to ban rooms of contemplation where students can pray in CEGEPs and universities, said the office of the Minister of Higher Education, Pascale Déry.
"The problem persists," worries the PQIn the Parti Québécois (PQ), MP Pascal Bérubé welcomed Wednesday the decision of the minister, demanding, however, that the directive apply to all institutions. "It was the decision that had to be made. Having said that, I still wonder why CEGEPs and private schools are not subject to Bill 21. These practices will continue in these schools, the problem persists," he said.
"The CAQ has such a strong prejudice about private schools that protects them from any provision for the common good in terms of secularism," continued Mr. Bérubé, calling on Quebec to "reopen Bill 21" to add CEGEPs and private schools.
"Right now, it's creating a distortion," he said.
At Québec solidaire (QS), education critic Ruba Ghazal lamented that Minister Drainville took
"two weeks to write a directive that lacks clarity and seems unenforceable."
"We will create more problems than anything else: will teachers have to monitor corridors and playgrounds in case a student gathers? Why not simply ban rooms exclusively reserved for prayer and allow healing rooms open to all when requested
and premises are available? " she insisted.
The office of the interim leader of the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ), Marc Tanguay, said in the evening that he will take "the time to analyze the directive before commenting."
