A Quebec Court Just Ruled The Religious Symbols Ban Won't Apply To English Schools

"The English Montreal School Board is elated with the Quebec Superior Court’s decision."
A Quebec Court Just Ruled The Religious Symbols Ban Won't Apply To English Schools
English Montreal School Board (EMSB)
Staff Writer

The Quebec Superior Court has ruled that the religious symbols ban under Bill 21 won't apply to English schools in Quebec, according to multiple reports. This means that teachers in English schools who wish to wear religious symbols won't be required to remove them.

The English Montreal School Board (EMSB) shared the news on Tuesday, saying it's "elated with the Quebec Superior Court’s decision to strike down key provisions of Bill 21."

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However, the CBC reports that the court upheld most of Bill 21, which forbids public-facing government employees from wearing religious symbols while performing their duties.

According to the EMSB, the Superior Court allowed English schools to be exempt under a provision in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms which "guarantees minority language educational rights to English-speaking minorities in Quebec, including the exclusive right of management and control of minority language schools."

"A religious symbol worn by a teacher in no way affects their ability to provide quality education in a secular state, within a secular education system and in the classrooms of public schools administered by the EMSB," said EMSB Chair Joe Ortona.

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  • Teddy Elliot
  • Teddy Elliot
    Teddy Elliot was a Staff Writer for MTL Blog. He was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec and has a B.A. in Literature. Teddy has been a journalist for three years and was once an English teacher. His creative work has appeared in The Blasted Tree and Parenthetical Magazine. When he's not chasing scoops, Teddy can be found cheering on Aston Villa and listening to 80s power ballads. He was shortlisted for a Digital Publishing Award in 2021.

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