The Quebec government is set to introduce an array of measures to broaden its secularism regulations across public institutions. This includes a prohibition on prayer spaces in universities and CEGEPs, as well as limitations on providing religiously oriented meals. Radio-Canada has verified the details of the new bill, which is anticipated to be presented on Thursday, originally reported by TVA and the Le Journal de Montréal.
The government aims to restrict the display of religious symbols in communications by public entities. Additionally, the bill seeks to prevent public institutions from offering meals solely based on religious practices and to extend the mandate for individuals to keep their faces visible within the public and subsidized daycare system.
Furthermore, the government is proposing a ban on religious activities in all public establishments, encompassing prayer rooms in universities and CEGEPs, with exceptions applicable to residential environments. The bill also includes a provision to prohibit public prayer, with certain allowances under specific circumstances.
Six years following the introduction of the significant secularism legislation known as Bill 21 by the CAQ government, and shortly after an extension of the ban on religious symbols, Quebec is once more addressing the intersection of religion and public life. Bill 21, enacted in 2019, enforces state secularism by prohibiting certain public employees from wearing religious symbols while on duty.
This law applies to various professionals such as teachers, police officers, and judges, and encompasses items like hijabs, kippahs, turbans, and crosses. It also prohibits individuals in these roles from wearing face coverings that conceal their identity, with exceptions granted for medical reasons.
In October, the Quebec government passed Bill 94, extending the prohibition of religious symbols to all individuals interacting with students in educational institutions. The law also prohibits students from covering their faces.
Existing employees are provided an exemption; however, this exemption is revoked upon promotion or transfer. Last week, some school staff were informed that the exemption only applies to those hired or promoted before the bill was introduced in March, not when it becomes effective.
In August, a committee recommended 50 modifications to the law with the aim of reinforcing secularism in the province.