Bernard Drainville – Eye on Islamism

After religious symbols law, Quebec eyes ban on public prayer: Where the province is headed on secularism Existing laws, jurisprudence appear to provide plenty of ammo for Quebec to address school controversies

December 16, 2024 Antoni Nerestant

(CBC) After the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government tabled its secularism bill, Premier François Legault recorded a video address that intended to reassure people who felt the proposed legislation was going too far. “I feel like saying ‘finally,’” the premier said in […]

Quebec premier says he wants to stop people from praying in public Opposition came out in support of legislating secularism in schools earlier in the day

December 6, 2024 Matthew Lapierre and Verity Stevenson

(CBC) Quebec Premier François Legault said Friday afternoon that he wants to ban praying in public and that he was considering using the notwithstanding clause to do so. The premier was giving an overview of the past year in Quebec City before […]

Religious indoctrination allegations at east-end Montreal school are unfounded: service centre 'No separation of girls/boys was imposed,' CSSPI corporate services director says

November 14, 2024 Unlisted Author

(CBC) An investigation into a potential case of religious indoctrination at a school in Montreal’s Saint-Léonard borough has found that the allegations were groundless. Alphonse-Pesant elementary school is part of the Pointe-de-l’Île school service centre (CSSPI), which covers eastern Montreal. The CSSPI […]

Quebec to do secularism checks at 17 schools for potential laicity law violations The ministers responsible for laicity and education have contacted all school service centres reminding them of their Bill 21 obligations.

November 14, 2024 Philip Authier

(Montreal Gazette) Following up on complaints sparked by allegations of incidents at the Bedford elementary school, Quebec’s Education Ministry is sending inspectors into 17 schools to verify them for possible violations of laicity rules. The schools to be inspected are in the […]

Quebec opens investigation on another religious incident in a public school 'If these events are confirmed, you can be sure decisions will be made,' says Education Minister Bernard Drainville. 'I'm not going to let this go on without a very firm and determined response.'

October 23, 2024 Philip Authier

(Montreal Gazette) The Quebec government has opened an investigation into another incident of religion reappearing in a public elementary school, with Education Minister Bernard Drainville saying Quebec will not turn a blind eye to the fresh allegations. One day after suspending the […]

Students at Montreal high school under investigation say teacher made comments that shocked class School service centre says it spoke to teacher following the remarks

October 23, 2024 Unlisted Author

(CBC) High school students at one of the four Montreal schools under investigation by Quebec’s Education Ministry for alleged toxic behaviour among staff say their teacher referenced wanting to hit them last week. The students’ account is one of the few specific incidents […]

A Montreal elementary school is at the centre of a secularism debate. Here’s how we got here Provincial politicians accused of pouncing on religion for political gain

October 22, 2024 Antoni Nerestant

(CBC) In the last few weeks, an elementary school in Montreal’s west-central Côte-des-Neiges neighbourhood has been mired in controversy. This past weekend, 11 teachers were suspended for allegedly creating a toxic environment for students and staff that goes back to 2016. On […]

Liberal MNA Marwah Rizqy asks for police protection in wake of threats She says she fears for her safety and that of her family after speaking up about a toxic climate at the Bedford school.

October 22, 2024 Caroline Plante

(Montreal Gazette) Saying she fears for her safety and that of her family, St-Laurent MNA Marwah Rizqy has asked for police protection. Rizqy was repeatedly insulted after denouncing the situation at Bedford elementary school that came to light in a recent investigation […]

Ministry suspends licences of 11 teachers at Bedford school as Legault vows to reinforce secularism rules 'We have a group of teachers who tried to introduce Islamic religious concepts into a Quebec public school, putting aside science as a way of helping students,' the premier said.

October 22, 2024 Philip Authier

(Montreal Gazette) With the Legault government saying the evidence shows Quebec’s secularism law was being flouted, 11 teachers at Montreal’s Bedford elementary school have had their teaching licences suspended by the Education Ministry pending the conclusions of an investigation. And the government […]

PQ leader calls for stricter secularism rules in wake of ‘toxic’ climate report at Bedford school Paul St-Pierre Plamondon says the education minister only referred to 'ideological divergences' in a Radio-Canada interview, without acknowledging the religious part of the equation.

October 21, 2024 Philip Authier

(Montreal Gazette) Urging politicians to not shy away from the debate because it involves religion, Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon called Monday for stricter secularism rules in the wake of the Bedford school controversy. St-Pierre Plamondon said what happened in the […]

11 teachers suspended over allegations of ‘toxic’ climate at Montreal primary school

October 20, 2024 Christopher Reynolds

(Canadian Press) Eleven teachers at a Montreal elementary school have been suspended after a government investigation found they fostered a “toxic” climate of fear and intimidation. In a move it described as unprecedented, the Centre de services scolaires de Montréal said its […]

Quebec government imposes measures to address ‘toxic climate’ at Montreal school

October 15, 2024 Sidhartha Banerjee

(Canadian Press) The Quebec government has appointed monitors to address a “toxic” climate of fear and intimidation at a French-language Montreal primary school, where some teachers allegedly subjected students to violence and claimed autism didn’t exist. Two monitors started working on Tuesday […]

Montreal elementary school under investigation for ‘toxic’ learning environment 3 other CSSDM schools to be audited after reports of similar incidents

October 11, 2024 Holly Cabrera

(CBC) Quebec’s Education Ministry has placed a Montreal elementary school under watch after an investigation found that teachers fostered a “toxic” environment that psychologically harmed students for years. Reporting by Quebec radio station 98.5 FM in 2023 on incidents at the school […]

NCCM, CCLA turning to Court of Appeal to suspend Quebec’s school prayer ban

July 17, 2023 Cole Fortner

(CityNews) The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) say they are continuing to challenge Quebec’s school prayer ban. “We cannot stand for a situation where Quebec students are being bullied and subjected to a regime […]

Quebec judge rejects request from Muslim group to suspend ban on school prayer rooms

June 14, 2023 Jacob Serebrin

(Canadian Press) A Quebec Superior Court judge on Wednesday denied a request by a Muslim advocacy group and a civil liberties organization to suspend the province’s ban on prayer rooms in public schools. The Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the National Council […]

Civil liberties, Muslim groups ask Quebec court to suspend ban on school prayer rooms

June 13, 2023 Jacob Serebrin

(Canadian Press) Quebec’s ban on prayer rooms in public schools is harmful to Muslim students and should be suspended immediately, lawyers for a civil liberties group and a Muslim advocacy organization told a Montreal court Tuesday. The Canadian Civil Liberties Association and […]

Muslim, civil liberties groups challenge Quebec school prayer room ban in court

May 26, 2023 Sidhartha Banerjee

(Canadian Press) A civil rights organization and a national Muslim advocacy group are the latest to launch a legal challenge of Quebec’s decree banning prayer rooms in public schools, the second one in recent weeks. The National Council of Canadian Muslims and […]

Muslim groups ask court to quash Quebec’s ‘discriminatory’ school prayer ban The ban violates 'the fundamental rights of minors and adults in terms of their freedom of religion, freedom of conscience, but also individuals' right of association,' the organizations argue.

May 17, 2023 Andy Riga

(Montreal Gazette) Six Muslim groups are asking a Quebec court to declare unconstitutional a new provincial edict that bans religious activity in public schools. In a lawsuit filed this week, the groups asked Quebec Superior Court to “declare constitutionally invalid, inapplicable, inoperative […]

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

April 20, 2023 Unlisted Author

(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 […]

Muslim groups promise to monitor Quebec ban on school prayer spaces

April 11, 2023 Unlisted Author

(Canadian Press) Muslim groups are speaking out against the Quebec government’s intention to ban prayer spaces in public schools, saying they will monitor how the Education Department enforces its new rules. In response to reports that at least two Montreal-area schools had […]

Only ‘silent’ praying allowed in Quebec schools as province moves to ban prayer rooms

April 5, 2023 Unlisted Author

(Canadian Press) Quebec’s education minister said Wednesday it will soon be forbidden to have prayer rooms in the province’s public schools. Bernard Drainville told reporters in Quebec City he has learned of at least two Montreal-area schools that have permitted students to […]