In September, 2008, the Province of Québec changed the religious education curriculum, requiring all students from first grade to the end of high school to take a course each year entitled, Ethics and Religious Culture. The course surveys all religions, treating Christianity on par with all other religions. No religion is permitted to be presented as more desirable than any other. The course is mandatory for all public and private schools. Even religiously based private schools are not permitted to teach a religion course contradicting Ethics and Religious Culture.

The Applicants, Lavallée and Jutras, are a married couple with four children. They live in Drummondville, Québec. On behalf of their children, they applied for exemptions from participating in the Ethics and Religious Culture course. Their requests were denied. Several thousand parents living in the Province of Québec also applied for exemptions from the Ethics and Religious Culture course on behalf of their children. All requests were denied. The Minister of Education has, apparently, indicated that all such requests will be denied. School boards have been supplied with a standard form rejection letter for this purpose.

The outcome of this case will potentially impact religious education throughout Canada. Right now even private Christian schools in Quebec are prevented from teaching religion from a purely Christian perspective.

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