We like to think that racism is not prevalent anymore, but unfortunately kids are still facing it, even at school. So, why is this still happening in one of the most multiethnic countries in the world? Immigrants make up almost 20 per cent of the population in Canada, and with that comes religious and cultural diversity.

Interculturalism in Quebec is a huge issue; it states that French is the major culture and language to protect the province's heritage. This circles back to problems in our education system. “This means that such schools are not, in practice, valuing students’ languages, cultures or racialized identities. When it comes to language, imposing monolingualism at schools and depriving students of their mother tongue are considered phenomena of assimilation.” (Koubeissy 2020)

I'm sure we have all heard about Quebec’s Bill 21 being passed. “...banning teachers, police officers, judges and many other professionals from wearing items like hijabs, turbans, kippas, and crucifixes in the course of their duties.” (Uprichard 2020) The government is showing a desire to assimilate the people in Quebec. Why would they let millions of immigrants into Canada to not let them express their religion? This is teaching kids that freedom of expression doesn’t exist. Your teachers are educating you on ethics and religion but aren’t even allowed to show their own at work. It contradicts what our textbooks are teaching us. It's obvious that the government doesn't want people to express themselves, as we can see it happening in our everyday lives.

So, what can we do? Protests, marches and strikes are all ways we can show the government that what they’re doing is wrong. We need to take action and express how we really feel. Bringing people together is a good way to end the stigma against talking about different religious beliefs.