Quebec not ruling out expanding religious symbol ban to daycare and college workers

The secularism minister in Quebec claims that the government is open to extending its ban on religious symbols to daycare workers. When it comes to bolstering secularism in the province, Jean-François Roberge asserts that “everything is on the table,” including the expansion of the law known as Bill 21 to include additional categories of public employees. However, he said Wednesday the government will wait for the recommendations from a government-appointed committee studying the issue before making a final decision.
“We’ll let the committee work,” he said. “After that, we’ll see if we move forward with daycares like in schools.”
Currently, the workplace religious symbol ban applies to categories of public employees deemed to be in positions of authority, including teachers, judges and police officers.Families Minister Suzanne Roy says that if the ban is extended to daycares, it should only apply to future hires in order to avoid staff shortages.“ We don’t want to interfere with services…. We already have a shortage of educators,” she told reporters. She said she doesn’t know how many employees wear religious symbols, such as hijabs or kippahs, that would not be allowed in the workplace if the ban is extended.
After a report on the unhealthy environment at a Montreal elementary school raised concerns about religious practices infiltrating Quebec schools, the government announced the committee earlier this year. The task assigned to the committee is to issue a report this summer with suggestions for bolstering secularism. Roberge says the committee is also looking at ways of making other spaces more secular, including junior colleges, known as CEGEPS, and universities.
He stated, “Our CEGEPS and universities are also public places.” The legislature is also studying a bill tabled by the province’s education minister that would extend the secularism law to all public school staff members, as well as those working under agreements with schools. That bill would include a clause to exclude current employees from its provisions.
Some groups who have spoken during the consultations have suggested the proposed changes don’t go far enough and have asked for junior colleges and daycares to be included in the law.