The Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville, formalized Wednesday by regulation his desire to impose the vouvoire in schools in 2026 and to prohibit cellular from the next school year, under penalty of sanctions which could go as far as expulsion or to community work – if the school staff thus decides.
The draft payment, expected since May, has been published in The Official Gazette of Quebec. It provides 45 -day consultations.
The draft settlement leaves it to school staff to determine which sanctions may be imposed on recalcitrant students. These reprimands will have to favor a “gradual approach” and be inscribed in the school’s codes of conduct.
Quebec gives examples of sanctions: Warning, written reflection, restraint, suspension and expulsion, can be read.
Always “depending on the nature, severity, frequency and recurrence of shortcomings”, sanctions could take the form of repairing gestures, such as verbal or written excuses, replacing a damaged property, mediation or execution of community work, suggests the regulation project.
“Madam, sir”
In May, Minister Drainville announced his intention to impose new rules of “citizenship” in schools. Students will therefore have to, as of 2026, have the school staff and challenge them with the words “Madame” and “Monsieur”.
The regulation draft confirms that school rules must prohibit the use of cellular, headphones and “any other personal mobile device on land and in school buildings”. This, from the next school year, according to the minister’s wish.
These devices can be used only for educational purposes – if a teacher wishes – to ensure the state of health of a student or to meet the particular needs of a disabled child or in difficulty of adaptation or learning.
The draft regulation “aims to establish a framework in terms of civility in primary and secondary levels”. The government’s decision was poorly received by the Autonomous Education Federation, but applauded by the Federation of Parents of Parents in Quebec, in particular.
A previous version of this text indicated that a regulation was published in The Official Gazette of Quebec. Rather, this is a regulation project. The text also argued that the Minister of Education wanted to prohibit cellular in schools in 2026, when he rather announced the intention to ban them from the start of the 2025 school year.
