(Montreal) In this new school year, students in Quebec secondary schools must take the new Quebec culture and citizenship (CCQ) course, which replaces that of ethics and religious culture (ÉCR). According to an analysis published Wednesday by two researchers associated with the Institute for Research on Quebec, the new approach could open the door to legal challenges.
Posted at 4:04 p.m.
The document entitled “From Ethics and Religious Culture to Culture and Quebec Citizenship” was written by lawyer François Côté and teacher David Santarossa.
After thoroughly analyzing the content of the new course and comparing it to its predecessor, Mr.e Côté comes to the conclusion that the new approach proposing a citizen critical reflection on religions opens the door to probable legal challenges.
Believing and practicing parents wishing to pass on their faith to their child might fear seeing these convictions shaken if the students are called upon to sharpen their critical thinking in the face of the religious phenomenon and its impacts within the evolution of Quebec society.
While he says he is quite convinced that there will be legal challenges, Mr. Côté nevertheless maintains that the success of these steps is far from certain, whereas he himself considers that the CCQ course is entirely in conformity with the law in the civil law tradition of Quebec.
In addition, the researchers offer preventive solutions to the government in order to avoid litigation before the courts. They suggest that an exemption could be offered to students from religious families; that the course be purged of religious content; or that the government modifies the Education Act and protects the CCQ course by using the notwithstanding provision.