They are also calling on Education Minister Jean-François Roberge to remind school boards that the bill's ban on religious symbols for persons in authority does not apply to teaching interns
QUEBEC — On the same day a judge was hearing a legal challenge to Bill 21, a new coalition of students studying to become teachers has denounced Quebec’s secularism law as discriminatory.
And they are calling on Education Minister Jean-François Roberge to remind school boards that the bill’s ban on religious symbols for persons in authority does not apply to teaching interns.
The coalition, which includes representatives of student federations of all the big universities, said they already have examples of at least three school boards unwilling to hire interns because they wear a symbol.
In all, about 40 students studying to be teachers are affected by the law at his university alone, Guillaume Bertrand, external affairs delegate of l’Association des Étudiantes et Étudiant en education de Université de Montréal, told reporters at a news conference.
Instead of being a progressive and inclusive law, Bill 21 has “emerged as an instrument of exclusion,” he added.
“We believe this law is shoddy, poorly conceived, misunderstood and has already produced a series of incidents where things slid out of control,” Bertrand said.
“The first victims have been women who have been stigmatized and marginalized for electoral purposes (of the Coalition Avenir Québec government).
“We are here to send a clear message to the government. The teachers of tomorrow are opposed to the ban on religious symbols included in the secularism bill adopted using closure last June by the National Assembly.”
The group then called on the government to scrap the ban, saying if Quebec continues to apply the law, students will take to the streets this winter to protest.
To illustrate the poisoned climate the bill has created, the group read out statements from two students who have had to give up their dream of becoming teachers because of the bill.
They were not present at the news conference, Bertrand explained, because every time they speak out in public about the bill, they become targets of intimidation and harassment.
But another member of the coalition, Stéphanie Bédard, president of the teachers’ student association at Université Laval, said she is aware of many students studying to become teachers who have had their dreams dashed.
“Behind their brave faces, there is an immense sadness at having been sacrificed on the altar of secularism, which does not correspond to the desires of a whole generation of Quebecers,” Bédard said.
“We have learned in the last few weeks that the human aspect of politics is not a priority of (Immigration Minister) Simon Jolin-Barrette.
And the coalition denounced the ripple effect the bill has had on interns. Thus far, nobody in government has told school boards the ban on religious symbols does not apply to interns.
Meeting reporters later, Roberge agreed with the coalition on the intern issue and said if some boards have failed to understand, the government will remind them.
“Interns are not employees, they are not state agents in the eyes of Bill 21,” Roberge said. “So I think a school board could very well welcome an intern wearing a religious symbol.
“The intern, however, must realize that after they finish their studies, they will not be able to wear it and teach.”
Asked what he can do to correct the misinformation, Roberge said he’s willing to act.
“If the law is misunderstood, we will work to ensure school boards understand it better because interns are not targeted by the ban on religious symbols.”
