Concerns are being raised about a Quebec Education Ministry proposal that would give schools the right to stay open on weekends and holidays such as Christmas.

The move was a response to pressure from Jewish parochial schools, which are seeking the right to hold classes on Sundays, which is not a day of rest in the Jewish tradition.

The president of the Lester B. Pearson Teachers union, John Donnelly, said he is concerned about the long-term consequences for public schools.

The ministry may be trying to open up additional days for students to attend school in an attempt to fight the province’s dismal graduation rates, said Donnelly.

Teachers could eventually be asked to work on weekends and holidays, he said.

'Even in a country like France, which is very, very secular, we have those holidays,'—Bertrand Ouellet, Assembly of Quebec Catholic Bishops

"I think they see an opportunity for the door to open, and they’ll open it supposedly a little for this situation, and then they’ll slap it wide open eventually," said Donnelly.

Lester B. Pearson board chairman Marcus Tabachnick said Donnelly’s concerns are exaggerated.

"I would be surprised if anybody would even consider the idea that we're not going to respect holidays," said Tabachnick.

The Assembly of Quebec Catholic Bishops is also expressing its opposition to the plan.

Christian holidays and weekends are an integral part of Quebec's social values, and those days off are shared by everyone, regardless of their religious beliefs, said Bertrand Ouellet, the assembly’s secretary general.

"Even in a country like France, which is very, very secular, we have those holidays," said Ouellet.

A spokesperson for the Education Ministry declined to comment on the issue.

The government is accepting feedback on its planned changes until Friday.

Unless changes are made, the new rules would go into effect by July 1.