Quebec minister says no to ban on religious symbols for students

Quebec Minister of Education Bernard Drainville explains the 94 Bill he tabled at the question period during a press conference at the legislature in Quebec City, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (Karoline Boucher / The Canadian Press)

Bill 94, aimed at strengthening secularism in schools, does not go far enough, according to the Mouvement laïque québécois (MLQ), which is calling for a ban on “religious clothing” for students—a proposal swiftly rejected by Education Minister Bernard Drainville.

The legislation proposes to expand the ban on religious symbols to include all staff in public schools, as well as individuals working under contracts with school institutions.

The MLQ is advocating for clothing such as the hijab and abaya to be banned for students.

“These garments never come alone. They carry a discriminatory view of women, often serve as a banner for political Islam, and are accompanied by a moral code that cannot align with the ethics public schools should instill,” said MLQ president Daniel Baril during a parliamentary committee hearing on Thursday.

He noted that France has had a similar law in place since 2004.

The MLQ also wants to see the removal of the acquired rights clause—commonly referred to as the “grandfather clause”—from the bill.

This would mean that any employee currently working in a school who wears a religious symbol would no longer be permitted to do so at work.

“We believe this creates two classes of employees based on their hiring date,” said Baril.

Minister Drainville, however, stood firm in rejecting the MLQ’s demands.

“We are proposing a Quebec model of secularism,” he stated.

The bill also includes a ban on full-face veils in both public and private schools, applicable to students and staff alike.

The legislation was introduced following reports of breaches of secularism in several Quebec schools, including Bedford in Montreal.

Public consultations began Thursday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on April 10, 2025.