An education department in Canada has revoked teaching licenses from 11 educators, most of whom are of North African descent, after they fostered a toxic climate at an elementary school, according to officials. Quebec's Education Department took the credentials from the unnamed staffers after a government investigation found that the group, composed of both men and women, spent little time on - or refused to teach - science or sex education at Bedford Elementary School, as reported by Town and Country Today. The teachers also attempted to 'introduce Islamist religious concepts into public schools' by making students at the Montreal school pray in the classroom, per the report.
The report, initially probed in June 2024, led to the suspension of all the teachers involved after the accusations came to light. The finalized report, dated December 2025, was released on Tuesday and authored by Jean-Pierre Aubin and Malika Habel - two provincial government employees tasked with monitoring the situation and creating a viable solution, according to CBC News.
The office for the education minister, run by Sonia Lebel, confirmed to the outlet that the decision to revoke the teachers' licenses was based on the findings from the 2024 investigation. After hearing of the department's decision, Michelle Setlekew, a liberal member of the legislature who oversees the school, expressed satisfaction with the outcome. 'I find it appalling what was done to young girls. I find it appalling that we didn’t provide all the necessary services to students who were vulnerable.... Their (licenses) were permanently revoked? Perfect,' Setlekew said during a news conference on Tuesday.
Because of the startling discoveries at Bedford Elementary, the Coalition Avenir Québec government went on to investigate 17 other schools over alleged breaches of the province's secularism law. The law, also known as Quebec's Bill 21, passed in 2019, states that public servants in positions of authority, including teachers, police officers, and lawyers, cannot wear religious symbols while at their job. The statute also bans school staff from interacting with students about religion and establishes limits on public prayer in the classroom. The 17 schools are all located in the French system, with three in Quebec City, one in Gatineau, two in the Saguenay region, and the other 11 in and near Montreal, per Town and Country Today.
Meanwhile, Aubin and Habel have drawn up 24 recommendations for Bedford Elementary following the investigation. They also came up with 10 general recommendations for the entire education system, the local outlet stated. The plan they created states that schools should be allowed to evaluate their teachers every two years, and can bring in an expert for support if needed. Their suggestions also included that the government should consider preserving the standard that French should be spoken anywhere that students are in schools, after the report from Bedford found that other languages were often being used. The independent administrators also recommended that the government modify Quebec's law on public education, banning all religious activities in schools, both during and after hours. If this happens, that would mean that wearing religious symbols, praying, or any signs of religion in public schools will be banned.
