The Quebec English School Boards Association argued on the first day of Bill 62 hearings that schools are well equipped to deal with religious-accommodation requests, and that the bill is “useless.”
The proposed legislation aims to ban people from wearing face coverings when giving or receiving a public service. It also proposes guidelines for religious accommodations in the province.
“We don’t need it,” said Stephen Burke, a QESBA board member. “We can complicate everything in life ... but we’re nine school boards, 340 schools, 100,000 students — it’s not a lot. We don’t have time to fight.”
English schools have had to make “minor accommodations” over the years, said QESBA vice-president Suanne Stein Day. For example, some teachers won’t work during Ramadan or Yom Kippur, she said. Some wear hijabs or kippahs, or eat their own kosher food at school.
“Our teachers take these opportunities to have teachable moments,” she told MNAs. “They take these opportunities to not only talk about the differences in different religions, cultures and races, but also the similarities. And we hope by explaining how similar we all are, despite certain differences, to children at a very young age, we will raise children who are not fearing the differences, who are not developing any racist or discriminatory opinions of their own.”
The group Pour les droits des femmes du Québec (PDF Québec), which also presented on Tuesday, couldn’t disagree more. Exposing children to religious symbols is to attack their freedom of conscience, said president Michèle Sirois.
“We’ve taken out crucifixes in classrooms because they influenced children, and children didn’t even look at them,” Sirois said. “Now teachers who wear religious symbols are transmitting their values and beliefs to children. What will the teacher who wears a veil say to children who ask, ‘Why are you wearing that?’ She’ll say, ‘Because it’s my god, my husband, my son or my imam’? To answer the question sends out a message; to not answer also sends out a message.”
The women’s-rights group argued that people in a position of authority, including teachers, should be banned from wearing religious signs.
This is the fourth time the Quebec government has attempted to put religious neutrality into a law.
On Tuesday, Justice Minister Stéphanie Vallée didn’t take issue with the fact that many groups slated to present at the hearings had cancelled. In fact, all seven groups that had been expected to present Tuesday were no-shows. QESBA and PDF Québec were asked to come and fill the slots.
“If people don’t think the bill raises red flags, then it may be a sign that the bill is well balanced,” Vallée told reporters.
“I do see red flags,” PQ MNA Agnès Maltais shot back. “It’s still up to every staff member to decide — it’s piece by piece. Another red flag is that there’s nothing about ... municipalities in the bill, so we have questions.”
Coalition Avenir Québec MNA Nathalie Roy said she’s surprised so many groups are snubbing the hearings.
“It reminds me of when it’s time to vote and people don’t go,” she said.
Hearings continue next week.