Quebec's Education Ministry has quietly asked some Montreal-area school boards to find out how many of their employees wear religious symbols on the job.
La Presse reports that three boards, including the large, French-language CSDM received the request verbally last Friday.
CJAD 800 has confirmed with the Lester B. Pearson and English Montreal School Boards that they were also asked for these numbers. Both said they had no such lists and were not asked to compile one.
The Commission Scolaire de la Pointe-de-l'Île told CJAD 800 that the ministry called to ask them how many teachers and staff wore veils and then how many wore religious symbols in general.
The Sir Wilfred Laurier School Board and the Riverside School Board told CJAD 800 that no request was made to them.
A spokesperson for the education minister said they made no official request, that they did not ask for a formal survey and that some boards were contacted "with the simple goal of knowing whether they already had such information."
The Legault government intends to ban the wearing of religious symbols by some provincial employees, including teachers.
The Federation of School Boards said it immediately sought legal advice to determine whether its members are obliged to provide that kind of information to the government. It is telling members not to comply with the ministry's request until it learns more.
The head of the CSDM said her board doesn't collect that kind of data, and has no intention of doing so.