Quebec vs education
Quebec has adopted a bill to restrict international student enrolment according to unstated “government priorities”.
The province is also worried about signs of religion in schools and is planning to strengthen the Loi sur la laïcité de l’État to make such outrages impossible in future and find ways to punish the offenders. Like maybe, penance?
Nicholas 14:38 on 2024-12-06 Permalink
Saw a doctor yesterday who was wearing a cross necklace. It was ostensibly under his scrubs, but the v neck was so low that it was easily visible most of the time.
jeather 14:59 on 2024-12-06 Permalink
Signs like schools with saint names? And though I don’t know what they refer to specifically re “missing school to be at the mosque”, is it taking specific religious holy days off, or is it a teenager just coming in late every day and saying it’s because they were praying.
Joey 15:18 on 2024-12-06 Permalink
I note that La Presse includes “teachers speaking Arabic to one another in the teacher’s lounge” as a violation of the secularism law. It seems to be conventional wisdom that French is the lingua franca of public schools, so much so that it’s common to hear of kids being yelled at by lunchtime monitors for speaking English in the playground, but what this has to do with religion is beyond me.
Spi 15:56 on 2024-12-06 Permalink
So is this an admission that banning religious symbols accomplished next to nothing in insuring that schools would be secular but was just a pretend measure
Margaret 08:29 on 2024-12-07 Permalink
If Legault’s intent is to stop prayer in public places, I think the Pope’s travel team need to know for a future visit. Also, are the more religious Christmas carols a form of prayer? Are holiday markets then restricted to carollers singing ‘Frosty the Snowman’ under his vision for strengthening the restrictions???
Uatu 08:47 on 2024-12-07 Permalink
Next Good Friday should be interesting to see the secular Inquisitors round up the scofflaw participants of the stations of the cross pilgrimage.
jeather 11:26 on 2024-12-07 Permalink
That’s just a historical recreation, Uatu.
Kate 12:37 on 2024-12-07 Permalink
Legault wants to stop all praying in public – so, as Uatu asks, what about that cross pilgrimage? What about the Portuguese parade for Senhor Santo Cristo? Will they too be shut down?
jeather 13:47 on 2024-12-07 Permalink
Kate, we all know that these will be waved away as somehow not falling into the category of prayer or religious. Cultural, or historical, or some other excuse. Perhaps the law will be carefully written to exclude them, or they’ll just find an exception later.