Muslim students praying in Schools. Representational image credit: Unsplash/Canim Studio
Montreal/CMEDIA: A promise to ban prayer rooms and other religious practices in the Quebec’s public schools. has been formalized by Quebec’s education minister, Bernard Drainville.
Drainville issued a directive late Wednesday saying schools must ensure that none of their spaces are used for the purposes of religious practices such as open prayers or other similar practices.
“Schools are places or learning and not places of worship,” Drainville wrote on his Twitter account, where he published a copy of his order.
No requests for accommodation will be heard, the government added.
The directive was issued after Drainville reportedly learnt earlier this month when he learned of at least two Montreal-area schools permitting students to gather for prayer. He said that the concept of prayer rooms runs counter to Quebec’s policy of official secularism law, known as Bill 21, which prohibits many public servants, including teachers, from wearing religious symbols on the job.
The directive notes that while Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms recognizes freedom of religion, it also recognized the fundamental importance of secularism.
Drainville also said that since he can’t ban prayer altogether students who want to pray should do so discreetly and silently.
Whereas the directive applies to public schools, vocational schools and adult education centres, it is not applicable to private schools or Indigenous school boards.
Denouncing the ban Muslim groups have said they would keep a close eye on how it’s implemented to ensure rights aren’t violated.
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