Prayer rooms, student groups increased tensions over Israel-Hamas war at CEGEPs: report
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Politically oriented courses, a lack of power over student associations and the presence of prayer rooms all contributed to heightened tensions over the Israel-Hamas war at Dawson and Vanier colleges, a new government report suggests.
Released Friday morning, it is the result of a months-long investigation launched by Quebec's Education Department following complaints of deteriorating climates at both CEGEPs last winter.
Among other recommendations, it calls for tighter regulations on academic freedom and student clubs, as well as better enforcement of Quebec's secularism law in CEGEPs.
'(The report) highlights a series of failures that have profoundly undermined the climate in both colleges, fuelled tensions and weakened community life,' Higher Education Minister Pascale Déry said in a statement Friday.
'As a government, we cannot tolerate our campuses becoming the scene of divisions.'
When the investigation was launched in December, Déry said it was necessary in order to determine whether the colleges were ensuring the 'physical and psychological well-being of students.'
She had cited multiple complaints of alleged bullying on campus over the Israel-Hamas war and concerns about some teachers' actions amid the heightened tensions.
Friday's report takes aim at what it describes as 'politically oriented' courses offered at the schools and argues against the presence of prayer rooms for Jewish and Muslim students on campus.
'Prayer rooms can be seen as a privilege, or even a factor facilitating radicalization and proselytism,' the report states. 'In the current sociopolitical context, this exacerbates tensions and makes it difficult for students and certain student clubs to coexist.'
The report also calls on Quebec to review its laws governing academic freedom and student associations in colleges. For the latter, it argues certain student clubs have become too militant and that schools have little power to reign them in.
'The institutions have neither the authority nor the leverage to intervene in problematic situations involving student associations or clubs and, where appropriate, to sanction or even ban them,' it says.
Reached for comment on Friday, both Dawson and Vanier said they are taking time to process the report.
When first announced, several teachers' unions had denounced the investigation as political interference and an attack on academic freedom.
Students had also protested against it, describing it as an attempt to intimidate teachers and calling for Déry's resignation.
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