TORONTO — Quebec has permanently revoked the teaching licences of 11 educators linked to a controversy at Bedford elementary school in Montreal, following a government investigation into allegations of religious influence, abuse and violations of the provincial curriculum.In 2024, a government investigation concluded that a group of teachers, many of North African descent, created a hostile environment by yelling at, humiliating and imposing their religious views on students and staff at Bedford school. Former Quebec premier François Legault said at the time that the teachers were attempting to “introduce Islamist religious concepts into a public school.”The investigation found that the teachers, who were allegedly influenced by a local mosque, subjected children to physical and psychological abuse. The report cited incidents of prayers taking place in classrooms and alleged that some teachers either refused to teach or paid little attention to science and sex education requirements in the provincial curriculum..The 11 teachers, a mix of men and women, were suspended from the school in Montreal’s Côte-des-Neiges district following the investigation.Speaking at a news conference in Quebec City on Tuesday, Michelle Setlakwe, whose riding includes Bedford school, said she supported the decision to permanently revoke the teachers’ licences.“I find it appalling what was done to young girls,” Setlakwe said. “I find it appalling that we didn’t provide all the necessary services to students who were vulnerable.... Their (licences) were permanently revoked? Perfect.”The Bedford case prompted the Quebec government to investigate 17 additional schools over alleged breaches of the province’s secularism law, known as Bill 21. No violations were ultimately found. The schools investigated were all part of the French-language system, including 11 in and around Montreal, three in Quebec City, one in Gatineau and two in the Saguenay region.At the same time, two independent administrators appointed by the province released an action plan intended to prevent similar situations in the future. The report included 24 recommendations specific to Bedford school and 10 broader recommendations for Quebec’s education system.Among the recommendations was a proposal requiring schools to evaluate teachers every two years, with expert support when necessary. The report also suggested the government consider enshrining in law an obligation to speak French anywhere students are present in schools, including classrooms, hallways and common areas. Investigators found staff at Bedford often communicated in languages other than French.Another recommendation called for amendments to Quebec’s public education law to ban all religious activities in schools during and after school hours.In 2025, Quebec expanded its ban on religious symbols in schools to include all staff members who interact with students. Previously, the law applied only to teachers. In 2026, the province introduced additional secularism legislation restricting prayer in certain public spaces and extending the ban on religious symbols to daycare workers.
