Quebec investigating two Montreal colleges over student safety [Video]

The Quebec government is launching an investigation of two English-language junior colleges in Montreal over complaints that the conflict in the Middle East has created an unsafe climate on campus.

The move follows a pro-Palestinian student strike at several post-secondary institutions in Montreal last month, during which Dawson College cancelled classes and closed its campus in an effort to protect students’ welfare.

Speaking to reporters in Quebec City on Tuesday, Higher Education Minister Pascale Déry said the government has received reports of students feeling intimidated at Dawson and Vanier colleges. In one case, she said, a math teacher “chose to invite his students to watch a documentary on Palestine rather than teach mathematics.”

In a statement earlier in the day on social media, Déry said she’s asked her department to investigate the governance at the colleges to see whether the school administrations have used all available tools to guarantee student …