A group of 11 educators in Canada has lost their teaching licenses following allegations of creating a disruptive environment at an elementary school, as revealed by officials. Most of the educators are of North African descent.
The Quebec Education Department has revoked the credentials of these teachers, whose identities remain undisclosed. A government investigation found that the group, which includes both male and female educators, neglected subjects such as science and sex education at Bedford Elementary School, according to a report by Town and Country Today.
The investigation further revealed that the educators attempted to introduce Islamist religious practices into the curriculum, reportedly encouraging students at the Montreal-based school to engage in classroom prayers.
Initially, the accusations surfaced in June 2024, leading to the suspension of the implicated teachers. The comprehensive report, completed in December 2025, was released to the public on Tuesday. It was compiled by Jean-Pierre Aubin and Malika Habel, both provincial government employees assigned to address the issue and propose solutions, as reported by CBC News.
Quebec’s Education Minister, Sonia Lebel, through her office, confirmed to the news outlet that the decision to revoke the teachers’ licenses was grounded in the 2024 investigation’s conclusions.
The office for the education minister, which is run by Sonia Lebel, confirmed to the outlet that the decision to take the teachers’ licenses away was based on the findings from the 2024 investigation.
After hearing of the department’s decision on the teachers’ careers, Michelle Setlekew, a liberal member of the legislature who oversees the school, said she is happy 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.
The office for the education minister, which is run by Sonia Lebel (pictured), confirmed to the outlet that the decision to take the teacher’s licenses away was based on the findings from the 2024 investigation
Nearly a dozen teachers, most of whom are North African, had their licenses taken away following an investigation that found they fostered a toxic climate at Bedford Elementary School in Quebec, Canada
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, according to the publication.
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 report continued.
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.
