The Association and its member school boards call on the government to focus on the real challenges in education.
Montréal, October 30, 2026 — The Quebec English School Boards Association (QESBA) condemns the PQ government’s intention to ban religious symbols for elementary school students and calls on Education Minister Joël Arseneau to abandon a measure he has called “non-negotiable.”
“Quebecers took the Premier at his word when he promised to unite us. After eight years of division, families were hoping for a fresh start. If this government truly wants to bring Quebec together, there is no better place to begin than in our schools, where every child is welcome, and every child belongs. Singling out children for their faith and restricting their access to schooling does the exact opposite,” said QESBA President Joe Ortona.
Quebec law guarantees every child free public education and requires children aged 6 to 16 to attend school. The government cannot compel children to attend and then make their access conditional on meeting state restrictions. In Multani (2006), the Supreme Court of Canada unanimously struck down a Montreal school board’s ban on a Sikh student’s kirpan, recognizing schools as the very place where young people learn acceptance and respect for minorities.
“A government’s first duty to its youngest citizens is to protect them, not to single them out. Quebec is better than this, and our society deserves better. Our school staff spend every day telling children that they belong, that they are capable, and that they are valued for who they are. The state should be reinforcing that message, not contradicting it,” continued the President.
QESBA joins a growing chorus that includes the Ligue des droits et libertés and its coalition partners, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, and various faith communities. It calls on the government to drop the measure and consult parents, educators and school boards.
“We agree with the principle the Premier once defended: the state has no business in people’s wardrobes unless there is real harm,” he added. “A seven-year-old’s head covering endangers no one. A secular school is not one where children must erase parts of who they are. It is one where every child, regardless of religion, culture or background, receives the same quality education and is treated with equal dignity,” continued the President.
The Association urges the government to put its energy where children need it. “Work to provide every child a qualified teacher. Provide access to every student with special needs the support they are owed. Fix our aging schools. Care for our children’s mental health. That is the work that will define this government’s legacy in education, and on that work, the English school boards will be its partner,” concluded the President.
QESBA looks forward to working with this government on all education-related topics during the lead-up and during the Estates General.
“Let parents parent. Let educators teach. And let children learn.”
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The Quebec English School Boards Association represents Quebec’s nine English-language school boards, which serve approximately 100,000 students across the province. QESBA advocates for quality public education, the constitutional rights of Quebec’s English-speaking minority community, and the success and well-being of all students.