The Government of Québec, through Order in Council 692-2025 amended the Basic school regulation for preschool, elementary, and secondary education under the authority granted by the Education Act. The legal basis for these amendments lies in section 447 of the Act, which enables the government to define the objectives and structure of educational services. This includes regulations regarding the nature of preschool and instructional services, as well as rules governing the evaluation of learning and the certification of studies.

Section 5 has also undergone important revisions. Paragraph 2 now includes the concept of “civic citizenship” alongside rights and responsibilities, reaffirming the government’s intention to foster a sense of societal participation and democratic engagement among students. This addition mirrors wider policy trends aimed at strengthening citizenship education, especially as democratic societies grapple with issues such as civic apathy and misinformation. Furthermore, in paragraph 12 of section 5, the phrase “services in spiritual care and guidance” has been replaced with “facilitation services in personal development and,” indicating a shift from spiritually oriented guidance services to a broader, more personalized and potentially secular support framework.

Another amendment is made to section 23.5, where a previously existing table in the second paragraph has been replaced. Although the specific content of the new table is not included in the excerpt, such changes typically involve updating standards for evaluating student achievement or modifying instructional benchmarks. Revisions to this section are likely intended to ensure that evaluative tools remain consistent with the updated educational priorities now reflected in earlier sections—namely personal development, civic responsibility, and autonomy.

These updates intend to realign the Québec school system’s foundational regulation to emphasize civic values, personal well-being, and student empowerment in a modern educational environment. By phasing out explicit references to moral and spiritual dimensions and replacing them with language about citizenship and personal development, the government aim appears to be the advancement of a more pluralistic, inclusive approach to public education. It also suggests an effort to clarify the separation of spiritual or religious guidance from the state-managed education system, promoting instead values that are universally applicable within a democratic society. The implementation of these amendments without change following the public comment period implies that there was either consensus or limited opposition to the proposed regulatory direction.

Quebec (692/2025) June 11, 2025
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