Quebec orders investigation into schools run by religious sect

Fée Larivière speaks out about her childhood in a religious sect and the illegal schools her children attended. (Noovo Info)

Fée Larivière was married at 17 to a 42-year-old man and gave birth to her first child at 18.

She says she was never free while living within the Mission de l’Esprit-Saint, a religious sect founded in 1913 known for its controversial educational practices.

In an exclusive report by Noovo Info, Larivière has come forward after leaving the movement with her three children, who attended one of the religious movement’s illegal schools.

“I decided to think freely for myself — something the Mission didn’t allow. I also did it for my children, to give them that same freedom,” Larivière told Noovo Info in an interview.

Today, her children attend what the sect calls “the school of the world,” a term used by Mission followers to describe public schools in Quebec.

“People of the world are people of Satan. They’re seen as bad influences or bad people,” explained the former member.

Illegal schools ‘very organized’

The Mission de l’Esprit-Saint runs illegal schools where children are taught the sect’s values while avoiding oversight by the Quebec Education Ministry.

“It’s very well organized,” Larivière said.

Students follow a set schedule, are taught by different “teachers” — who are actually parents — and even have access to school transportation. Officially, they’re all registered with the ministry as being homeschooled, Noovo Info reported.

Children never go outside during class hours for fear of being noticed, she added.

“Parents park in the back. The kids get out almost with a blanket over their backpacks — it’s very quick. The Mission’s goal with these schools is to stay off the school board’s radar,” Larivière recounted.

She said the classes may appear “normal” because they include subjects like French, math and English, but the teaching always centres on Mission doctrine.

“In science, for example, when they get to the topic of planets, they’re told that in the Mission, planets don’t exist and that the Moon is just the reflection of Earth,” she told Noovo Info.

According to Larivière, children are also required to study Le Questionnaire, a book of more than 800 religious questions about the Mission’s values.

To ensure that they circumvent the rules of the Education Ministry, parents reportedly reuse pre-filled academic assessments to move their children from one grade to the next.

“They’ll reuse the same reports for all the Grade 4 kids, for example, because the resource people are different,” Larivière said.

She also told Noovo Info that since the release of the documentary La prison de l’Esprit-Saint, the Education Ministry has reportedly required the resource workers assigned to each family to visit them directly in their homes.

But according to Larivière, most never showed up.

“I’m a bit shocked to see that the government, even after all this, still hasn’t acted — or hasn’t done enough,” she said.

She added that the ministry should send teams into the field “constantly,” along with psychological support for the children.

“They should go to regular schools, have the chance to express themselves freely and be who they want to be,” Larivière said.

Following revelations in the Noovo Info report, Quebec Education Minister Sonia LeBel announced Thursday that she has ordered an investigation into the Mission de l’Esprit-Saint. In a social media post, LeBel called the situation “unacceptable.”

“The education and safety of children are non-negotiable. I have asked the Education Ministry to launch an investigation without delay. I will work closely with Public Security Minister Ian Lafrenière and Social Services Minister Lionel Carmant to ensure the safety of the children.”