From Confessional to Cultural: Religious Education in the Schools of Québec

Abstract

Québec has had a unique history in North America regarding religious instruction in public schools. To understand Québec's new Ethics and Religious Culture Program, it is important to have an appreciation of some of the major historical events and contexts that led to the program. This article presents the history of Québec religious instruction from its roots in New France to the present day. It highlights the key elements of the evolution from a confessional religious program to an ethics and religious culture program that is now a requirement for all students.

KEYWORDS:

• Catholicism
• education
• ethics and religious culture
• Québec

Notes

The first part of this article (up to The Proulx Report) is taken from my book, Catholic Education: The Québec Experience (Calgary, Canada: Detselig Enterprises Ltd., 1999) with some editing and revision.

C. J. Jaenen, The Role of the Church in New France (Toronto, Canada: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 1976), 100–106.

J. Hamelin, Histoire du Catholicisme Québécois Tome 2 De 1940 à nos jours, (dirigée par Nive Voisine) (Montréal, Canada: Boréal Express, 1983), 173.

Gouvernement du Québec, Conseil supérieur de l'éducation, Comite catholique, La juridiction et les responsabilités du comité catholique (Québec, Canada: 1987).

Gouvernement du Québec, Ministère de l'éducation, Education in Québec: A Progress Report (Québec, Canada, 1987), 3.

Gouvernement du Québec, Ministère de L'Éducation, Religion in Secular Schools : A New Perspective for Québec (1999), 7.

“Both the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Québec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms contain provisions allowing other legislation to override a Charter provision, providing the override is expressly indicated in the subordinate legislation. An override of the Canadian Charter is valid only for the period fixed in the legislation, which may not exceed five years. Unless renewed it lapses at the end of this period. An override of the Québec Charter remains in force until repealed by another piece of legislation. A provision to override the application of a Charter is known as a ‘notwithstanding clause’ because it is generally introduce by the word ‘notwithstanding’…”: Ibid., 4.

Ibid., 7.

Ibid. (abridged version), 24.

Report submitted by the Catholic Committee to the Minister of Education, October 1999.

Gouvernement du Québec, Ministère de L'Éducation, Comité sur les affaires religieuses, Religious Rites and Symbols in Schools: Brief to the Minister of Education (2003), 92.

Ibid., 93.

Ibid., 93.

Gouvernement du Québec, Ministère de L'Education, Québec's Public School: Responding to the Diversity of Moral and Religious Expectations (2000), 18.

Ibid., 4–5.

Gouvernement du Québec, Ministère de L'Education, Loisirs et Sport, Establishment of an ethics and religious culture program : Providing future direction for all Québec youth (2005). 8.

The elementary and secondary programs can be accessed in English at https://www7.mels.gouv.qc.ca/DC/ECR/index_en.php

Gouvernement du Québec, Ministère de L'Éducation, Loisirs et Sport, Québec Education program: Elementary Education (2008), 303.

Gouvernement du Québec, Ministère de L'Éducation, Religion in Secular Schools: A New Perspective for Québec (1999), 241.

Letter to Parents, April 2009.

Cour Supérieure du Québec, Loyola High School et John Zucchi Demandeurs c. Michelle Courchesne, En Sa Qualité De Ministre De L'Éducation, Du Loisir et Du Sport (2010), 58.

Ibid., 62 (Translation by the author).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Spencer Boudreau

Spencer Boudreau, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Faculty of Education at McGill University in Montreal. In 2009, he was appointed as the Ombudsperson for Students of the University. His research focuses on religious literacy and religious education in public and private schools. He has over 40 years of experience in the area of religious education at the high school, college, and university levels. He also has worked as a consultant for the Ministry of Education of Québec in the area of religious education.