QUEBEC ENGLISH SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION
QESBA Condemns Bill 94 as an Affront to Inclusion, Professionalism, and Local Democracy in Quebec's Schools

The Quebec English School Boards Association (QESBA) strongly condemns the adoption of Bill 94 An Act to, in particular, reinforce laicity in the education network and to amend various legislative provisions as a coercive and unnecessary intrusion into Quebec's education system.

When Bill 94 was first introduced in April 2025, QESBA warned that it would erode trust, professionalism, and inclusion in schools. Time and the government's subsequent amendments have only deepened those concerns.

By extending the contested application of Bill 21 to nearly every aspect of school life, the government has chosen to wield a sledgehammer when what education truly needs is a tuning fork.

Bill 94 puts ideology before education and threatens the very foundations of Quebec's public schools. "Bill 94 narrows what it means to belong in Quebec's schools, "said QESBA President Joe Ortona".

First, it centralizes control within the Ministry of Education, weakening local governance and undermining the constitutional right of Quebec's English-speaking community to manage and control its schools a right guaranteed under section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Second, it imposes a rigid, state-defined notion of "Quebec values," replacing professional judgment, diversity of thought, and open dialogue with top-down ideological directives.

Third, it entrenches exclusion by enforcing sweeping restrictions on religious accommodation, mandating face uncovering, and invoking override clauses that suspend rights protected under both the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

"Instead of supporting teachers and students, the government is undermining professionalism, diversity, and local democracy" Ortona concluded.

QESBA reaffirms its commitment to defending constitutional rights and to preserving an education system built on respect, inclusion, and genuine democratic self-governance.