Elected officials adopted Bill 32 on Friday that aims to better protect academic freedom in the university environment.
The eight members of the Québec solidaire (QS) present, however, expressed their discomfort by avoiding voting.
This is because Law 32 gives the Minister of Higher Education the right to grant the repairs are needed in educational institutions deemed non-compliant.
This article allowed the minister to pick up the pencil and then go and write, in exchange for the universities, the internal rules they should useMP’s grievance for QS Alexander Leduc.
We want to make sure that it is not the unity of the National Assembly that has given the green light to this precedent that usually enters the autonomy of the university.he justified himself.
When it came to testifying with elected officials, the rectors also opposed the bill.
Disruptive Events
But the past years have shown us that freedom [de l’enseignement] is not obtained as tempted to believeMinister Danielle McCann recalled in her closing remarks this week.
He said he knew a lot stressful circumstances.
Last year, a teacher at the University of Ottawa was suspended over a complaint about the use of a word beginning with the letter “N” in her classroom.
Act 32 responds to all the recommendations set by the Cloutier commission, in addition to combining some of the opinions it has formed, the minister argued.
He refers to academic freedom at the university and ensuring that institutions adopt an exclusive policy to recognize, promote and protect it.
Finally, the law holds these establishments accountable for enforcing their policy.
Quebec positions itself as a leader in terms of university academic freedom and the fight against self-censorshipaccepted Mrs. McCann in a press release published Friday.
Very concrete, thanks to this bill, all topics can be addressed and all words can be recited in an educational context.
I hope other jurisdictions follow our model. […] The universities […] should provide an environment conducive to learning, discussion and debatehe concludes.
Reaction
The National Federation of Quebec Teachers (FNEEQ-CSN) believes the amendments made by the Minister make Bill 32 acceptable and relevant.
However, the law does not guarantee the protection of one of our members who criticizes the positions of his or her employer […] This is a shortcoming that requires extreme vigilance. according to the vice president of FNEEQ–CSNChristine Gautier.
The law also does not impose an explicit obligation on school management to accept the aspiration of employees sued by third parties for exercising their academic freedom, the union pointed out.
Source: Radio-Canada
