Quebec education minister wants to ban schoolchildren from wearing religious symbols

MONTREAL — The president of the National Council of Canadian Muslims is accusing the Quebec government of attempting to take away the rights of children by expanding secularism laws.

“We’re talking about going after the rights of children to have a spirituality and go to school,” said Stephen Brown in an interview.

Quebec’s new education minister, Joël Arseneau, told journalists on Wednesday that he plans to ban schoolchildren from wearing religious symbols. He added that doing so is “non-negotiable.”

The Parti Québécois had promised to do so during the election campaign that resulted in a PQ minority government. In its platform, the party wrote that secularism “embodies the desire of the vast majority of Quebecers to live in a society where religion is practised in the private sphere.”

But Brown said the government is already breaking its promise to be the “the government of all Quebecers.”

“What we’re seeing now is anything but that,” said Brown. “It’s ridiculous and a missed opportunity.”

Brown said the government had pledged to reach out to communities and find balanced policy solutions to difficult questions like secularism. He believes that believes preventing children from wearing religious symbols is “blatant discrimination against religious minorities.”

He said the rules would mainly apply to those who wish to wear the kippa, hijab, crucifix and turban.

“We should not live in a country where politicians are able to literally trade away the rights of Canadian citizens in an election or political game,” said Brown. “The Charter rights of Canadian citizens have to be worth more than the paper they’re written on.”

Québec solidaire’s education and secularism critic, Roxane Milot, said the leftist party will vote against the proposed ban.

“Leave the kids alone! The priorities for the education system are clear: address the staff shortage, repair our schools, put an end to the three-tiered school system and reduce the dropout rate,” she said in a news release.

In the same release, Québec solidaire said it is concerning to see the new administration get bogged down by “identity-driven one-upmanship.”

It is unclear when the PQ government intends to table a bill to this effect, though the legislature is scheduled to resume sitting on Nov. 17.

The Quebec government has been strongly criticized for its law banning employees of the public sector, including teachers, from wearing religious symbols.

A legal challenge of that law, known as Bill 21, has made it to the Supreme Court of Canada. Lawyers argued it raised serious concerns involving several Charter rights, including freedom of expression, conscience and religion.

Those legal proceedings are ongoing.

Brown said he is prepared to mount a legal challenge if the PQ’s proposal becomes law.

Jean-Christophe Jasmin, the Quebec director of Christian think tank Cardus, also opposes expanding secularism laws.

In an interview, he said the government’s rationale to ban religious symbols worn by government employees was “presented in the name of freedom of conscience.” The previous Coalition Avenir Québec administration had argued that children are subject to an authority figure, and that that figure must be religiously neutral as to not impose their beliefs on their students.

“I don’t see how that logic applies to children today. Children do not represent the state, they are part of civil society,” said Jasmin. “There is no duty of neutrality on the part of children. The argument doesn’t hold up.”

Brown agreed, saying the scope of secularism laws banning religious symbols has continued to expand since the CAQ took power in 2018.

At first, the government targeted those in positions of authority. It was extended to teachers, daycare workers, all school staff and parents who volunteer in schools.

The CAQ then expanded the scope of the law to the public sphere by banning praying outside, in universities and at workplaces.

“And now of course, we’re going after the rights of children. So where does this end?” said Brown.

Frédéric Bérard, a constitutional lawyer who took part in the legal challenge against Bill 21, did not want to comment on Arseneau’s comments but said it was to be expected.

He pointed out that former premier François Legault had openly said in a 2019 radio interview with Radio-Canada that Bill 21 was a concession to “people who are a little racist and don’t want to see religious symbols anywhere in public.”

“It’s never enough,” said Bérard. “It’s a slippery slope.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 29, 2026.

Erika Morris, The Canadian Press