Earlier this month, a teacher who wears a hijab was removed from class at Jumide Secondary School in Montreal. The woman said she was taking a call, so she doesn’t think that the school had enough of a reason to remove her.
My mother went through similar things. It was the last hurdle, because I always told her ‘Look, don’t cry. Tomorrow will be better’ and she would never get over it. – Ayman al-Joundi, one of the students
The school sent an e-mail to all parents saying that the teacher was being taken out of the classroom to “refocus her on her teaching.” However, a CBC.ca report says that the teacher was dismissed before making that call.
The woman’s name and other details weren’t released, but a photo of her uniform was.
The school responded to the reports on Monday, saying the teacher was dismissed “in order to allow the school to renew their role in consultation with the student body and to ensure the neutrality of its administration.”
The student body did not respond to that statement, instead questioning if it was allowed by the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms. If so, the teacher’s removal from the classroom could be a violation of the constitution.
Her son addressed his classmates at a recent school assembly.
The last time I saw my mother I cried. Our government needs to take a stand against the fact that it disallowed us from being ourselves. ” – Ayman al-Joundi, one of the students
On Tuesday, a group of students walked out of class, held a rally in front of the school and a meeting with school officials.
Earlier this month, the Quebec provincial government stood in solidarity with women wearing the hijab and told students that wearing the head covering is an “institutionalized way of expression.”
“This is an institution that was established by law and is secular by nature, which means it belongs to the majority; and only a small part of Quebecers adhere to a philosophy or an ideology that contradicts the institution’s values,” Jean-François Lisée, a member of the Parti Québécois said in a statement.
The bill adds a section to the Quebec Charter that states that “members of the public service and all those persons in authority… are expected to conduct themselves with the utmost respect for human dignity and for equality between men and women.”
This includes allowing women to wear a veil for religious reasons.
The students and their parents told Global News they are tired of their rights being disregarded. They want the province to make it easier for women who wear the hijab to attend school.