Quebec’s new government in Canada is preparing to extend restrictions on religious symbols to children in primary schools, a move that could affect Sikh, Muslim and Jewish students.
The proposed measure would prohibit children from wearing religious items such as turbans, hijabs and other visible religious symbols in schools. It has triggered concerns over religious freedom, discrimination and children’s rights.
New Government Seeks to Fulfil Election Promise
The separatist Parti Québécois came to power following the provincial election in October. The party had promised during its campaign to extend restrictions on religious clothing to primary school students.
Quebec’s Education Minister, Joël Arseneau, has said the government intends to move ahead with the proposal, arguing that the party received a mandate to implement its election agenda.
New Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon has also supported the proposal. In September, he said parents sending their children to school should expect them to follow the institution’s rules, including restrictions on religious symbols.
Quebec’s Restrictions on Religious Symbols Date Back to 2019
Quebec’s restrictions on religious symbols began in 2019 under the Coalition Avenir Québec government, which introduced a secularism law prohibiting certain public employees from wearing visible religious symbols while performing their duties.
The restrictions apply to several categories of public employees, including teachers, school principals, police officers, judges and other law enforcement personnel. The law has been challenged before Canada’s Supreme Court.
In April, the previous government introduced further restrictions on religious activities. These included prohibitions in public universities, privately run institutions receiving government funding and childcare centres. Restrictions were also placed on collective religious activities in streets and parks.
The new government now wants to extend the restrictions to primary school students.
Rights Groups Warn of Discrimination Against Children
The proposed expansion has drawn criticism from civil liberties advocates.
Anaïs Bussières McNicoll, director of fundamental freedoms at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, said Quebec was steadily widening restrictions on religious expression.
She argued that the restrictions had first affected public employees, then staff at educational and childcare institutions, and were now being extended to children.
McNicoll warned that the proposal could send primary school students a message of exclusion and rejection towards certain religious communities. She also questioned whether the government was trying to address a problem that did not exist.
