MONTREAL: Quebec’s government is moving to ban elementary school students from wearing religious symbols and traditional dress, including Sikh turbans and Muslim face veils. The measure would mainly affect students from Sikh, Muslim and Jewish communities.
The Parti Québécois, a sovereigntist party, promised the ban during the election campaign that produced its minority government. Education Minister Joël Arseneau has said the plans are non-negotiable, though it is unclear when a bill will be tabled. The rules would mainly apply to those who wish to wear the kippa, hijab, crucifix and turban.
Quebec’s restrictions on religious symbols date back to 2019, when its secularism law barred public employees in positions of authority, such as teachers, police officers and judges, from wearing them on duty. The province has since extended the ban to everyone who interacts with students in schools and prohibited students from covering their faces. The new proposal would extend restrictions to elementary school students themselves.
The proposal has drawn sharp criticism. Anaïs Bussières McNicoll of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association said the government is steadily tightening limits on religious freedom. She warned that targeting schoolchildren could foster a sense of discrimination from an early age. Rights groups have described the move as a violation of fundamental rights.