The Commission scolaire de Montréal (CSDM), Quebec’s largest school board, says it will not be applying Bill 21 for at least one academic year as it wants to conduct consultations of its various internal departments until spring 2020.

Catherine Harel-Bourdon, president of the CSDM, argued she opposes the bill and wants to speak with the governing boards, parents’ committees, unions and various other associations.

The school board voted unanimously Wednesday night to delay the application of the controversial legislation until a proper consultation process could be carried out.

The secularism bill would prohibit new teachers and principals, hired since March 28, from wearing any religious symbols.

It also affects judges, police officers, prison guards, Crown prosecutors and other public servants in what the government considers to be positions of authority.

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In response, representatives from the Quebec government argued there was no chance the law, which was passed Sunday at the National Assembly, would be postponed.

The English Montreal School Board (EMSB) and the Lester B. Pearson School Board (LBPSB) have also insisted in recent weeks that they will not be implementing the provisions of Bill 21.

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