Quebec bans use of classrooms as prayer spaces Allowing prayer spaces in schools against secularism laws, says education minister

(CBC) Quebec’s education minister officially prohibited schools from transforming classrooms into prayer rooms Wednesday, as announced two weeks ago.

“Schools are places of learning, not places of worship,” said Bernard Drainville.

The guidelines put out by the Education Ministry say that “the development of places used for the purposes of religious practices” is “incompatible with the principle of the religious neutrality of the state” and “that it is likely to have an impact on the proper functioning of schools.”

The minister also says that using classrooms to pray goes against secularism laws, which require that schools respect the separation of the state and religion.

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