Montreal School Accommodates Muslim Students Over Some Objections

In the Canadian province of Quebec, Montreal school officials have accommodated the religious needs of three Muslim high school girls by allowing them to take the required swimming test in physical education alone in the school's pool, shielded from the view of any men. The Toronto Star today reports that decision, opposed by the school's parent-teacher council, has created some controversy about the place of religion in Quebec's public institutions. However school officials say that the move is required by the Constitution and rulings of Canada's Supreme Court. Several Toronto public schools already set aside all-girls swim periods each week, as do other public pools in Jewish, Muslim and Sikh areas of Montreal.