Quebec National Assembly politicians vote to 'reaffirm' academic freedom after N-word controversy

Members of all fourpartiesof the National Assemblyvoted Tuesday to pass a motionasserting the importance of freedom of expression in academic settings.

Education Minister Jean-Franois Roberge, of the Coalition Avenir Qubec,presented the motion.

It was supported byMarwah Rizqy, Liberal MNA for Saint-Laurent,Christine Labrie, Qubec Solidaire MNA for Sherbrooke, Vronique Hivon, Parti QubcoisMNA for Joliette and Catherine Fournier, the independent MNA for Marie-Victorin.

It states that members of the legislatureare reaffirming their trust in educators and their expertise. It also says it's important thatQuebec's Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms be respected in the education process.

It says the National Assembly "invites school boards, service centres and private schools to rely on teachers' professional judgment."

Last week, the trustee for the English Montreal School Board did not mince words at acouncil meeting, saying a textbook containing the N-word that is in use at several schoolsshould not have been there in the first place.

"When I hear or see that word, I am filled with such pain because I know what my ancestors lived through as slaves," Marlene Jennings, a former member of Parliament who is Black, told the board last Wednesday.

The N-word appears in the textbook Journeys through the history of Quebec and Canada. The English version of the book was published three years ago.

Teachers and parents have called for the book to be removed from class.

The EMSB is printing out stickers to cover the word, and others to add context. It is also drafting a lesson plan for teachers to contextualize its use by the Quebec author Pierre Vallires.

Students have been calling for systemic change in wake of the N-word controversy at University of Ottawa where a professor is accused of using the full word in class.

The Quebec government reacted to that controversy by saying the university had violateda professor's freedom of expression by suspending her for using the word.

Premier Franois Legault has said he doesn't understand the university's decision and warned of a "slippery slope."

And late last month, a Henri-Bourassa high school teacher, Vincent Ouellette, was suspended after a video surfaced showing him using the N-word repeatedly during an online class.