Quebec Proposes to Remove Religious Teaching From Schools

Yesterday, Quebec's Education Minister introduced a law that will replace the teaching of Catholic and Protestant religious doctrine in the public schools with broader academic instruction on ethics, religion and culture. According to a report by CNews, the changes will not take effect until 2008. This move is motivated not only by parental desires as reflected in recent polls, but also by guarantees of freedom of conscience and religion in Canada's 1982 Charter of Rights and Freedoms. However, under Section 33 of the Charter, a provincial legislature can declare a law operative for up to five years notwithstanding these protections. The government invoked this provision in order to delay the effectiveness of the new reforms for 3 years.