The Quebec government is presenting a bill that would prohibit students from having their faces covered at school.
The legislation, if approved, would mean that the Muslim girls who use a full face veil could not do so.
“The bill establishes the obligation to discover students when they are at the facilities placed available to a school, a vocational training center or an adult education center or a private educational institution,” according to the explanatory notes of the bill 94.
The legislation would also extend the prohibition of the use of religious symbols to all personnel in public schools and school service centers, not only teachers and directors, as was previously the case under Law 21.
This would include workers who provide services to students enrolled in attention before and after school.
A historical clause for personnel who are already in position is included in the bill.
It was not clear immediately how many students and staff would affect this.
The Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville, who is expected to celebrate a press conference later this morning, said that legislation is an attempt to strengthen secularism in schools after voltage reports at a Montreal school last fall.
The controversy finally led 11 teachers to be suspended for allegedly creating a toxic environment for students and staff since 2016 at Bedford Elementary School.
The legislation also includes a provision that would require teachers to undergo an annual review.
The explanatory notes of the bill say that teachers will be obliged to “present educational planning to the director of the institution and the obligation of the director to evaluate teachers every year.”
More to come.
