Quebec looks to France for tips on applying secularism laws to education system

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QUEBEC — The Legault government is seeking advice from the French government on how to ensure the secularism law, Bill 21, is respected in the education system.

Three weeks after the visit of French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who passionately advocated secularism in a speech in Parliament, Quebec Minister of State for Lai City Jean-François Roberge is following up.

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Roberge requested a meeting with French Interior Minister Gerard Darmanin to get advice on France's “best practices” in applying secularism laws, which are much stricter than Quebec's.

He makes a request in a letter. Roberge's office released a copy of the letter, first obtained by Radio-Canada, to the Gazette on Friday.

“Even if Quebec's model of secularism is not as advanced as France's, I believe there is much to be learned from the French experience regarding the application of national secularism and the challenges this poses, including in the field of education.” “I am thinking,” Roberge wrote.

“I am convinced that it is appropriate to work together to meet the challenges ahead.”

Roberge's letter was released a day after the Coalition Avenir Quebec government adopted Bill 52. The bill was introduced in February to renew the use of the Constitution's “notwithstanding” clause, which protects Bill 21 from court challenges for an additional five years.

The legislation was adopted by a vote of 83 to 26, with the Quebec Liberal Party and Quebec Solid MNAs in attendance voting against it.

Quebec law is different from French law. Quebec prohibits public servants in positions of authority, such as teachers, police officers and judges, from wearing religious symbols such as hijabs, crosses, turbans and kippahs while on duty.

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A French law adopted in 2004 extends its rules to all students, prohibiting students from wearing “signs or clothing that outwardly indicate religious affiliation” such as scarves, turbans, and kippas. did.

Roberge's aides said Friday that the minister is not proposing to reinstate Quebec's law adopted in 2019 to tighten it or make it a copy of French law.

“This is just an interaction and a sharing of our experiences,” the aide said. “We are in the process of starting a dialogue with France on this matter, as requested by both leaders (Mr. Attal and Prime Minister François Legault).

“This is a dialogue to determine what are the best practices that will inspire Quebec within the existing legal framework.”

The aide added that Quebec has no particular problem applying the rules of Bill 21, a law recently challenged in the Supreme Court by the Montreal School Board of England and the Federation of Autonomous Associations (FAE) teachers' unions. .

There was also an incident in France. In March, former education minister Atal had to intervene in an incident in which a student refused to remove his veil in the classroom. She then accused her school's principal of forcing her.

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Attal defended the principal, who received death threats after the incident. He said the state plans to sue the student for falsely accusing the principal.

However, it is clear that Legault's government was pleased and inspired by what Mr. Attal said in his April 11 speech to parliament, the first by a French prime minister in 40 years, and wanted to move forward with the discussion. ing.

In his speech, Atal appealed for piety and made some moving remarks.

“Claim that you don't understand what a believer is, try to distort it, make it seem like it's somehow an anti-religious weapon, convince people that it's a form of denial of religion.” To those who would try to make us think that it is a form of religion, we respond that faith is a condition of freedom, equality and fraternity,” Attal said in his speech. Stated.

In comments this week during a debate on renewing the notwithstanding clause, Mr. Roberge praised Mr. Attal's speech.

“What a beautiful way to express the principles of the faithful,” Roberge told parliament. “They have their own pastoral model in France, which is very interesting.”

In his letter to Darmanin, Roberge said he agreed that secularism was “a positive vector that allows us to create the conditions for victory to unite” society.

The French Ministry of Education's website lists specific steps the country has taken to ensure compliance with the law, which could help Quebec in its discussions.

For example, France has established a “Council of Pious Sages'' that meets to advise the government on concrete ways to ensure the functioning of the law.

Each school has a “Republican Values ​​Team” made up of teachers and staff who train staff on “appropriate responses” when they witness violations of the law.

At the beginning of each school year, schools receive a kit with reference documents addressing disrespect to ensure the principles are understood and taught in the classroom.

pauthier@postmedia.com

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