Quebec’s publicly funded nurseries run by faith groups have been instructed not to teach children anything about the religion they profess by the province’s Family Minister, Yolande James.

The nurseries, known as day-care centres, have been told to eliminate all activities that involve the “transmission of faith” by June.

The ban on “teaching a belief, a dogma or the practice of a specific religion” does not apply to “cultural diversity or traditional or historic activities”.

At a press conference in Montreal, an aide to the minister explained the difference by saying a historic activity would allow for the display of a Nativity scene, but would not allow talk about the birth of Jesus or explaining who Mary or Joseph were.

In other words, they can display a crib, but cannot say what the crib is for.

The decision was criticised by a range of faith groups. The Association of the Catholic parents of Quebec (APCQ) said that parents choose to send their  children to institutions with a Catholic tradition, because of the religious dimension.

Jean Morse-Chevrier, chairwoman of the APCQ said: “It’s wrong for elected representatives to take this right away, since it limits the parents’ fundamental right to direct the religious education of their children,” said Mrs. Morse-Chevrier.

Ms James said the policy arises from a government concern that “young Quebecers who attend our day-care services do so in a spirit of openness to others and diversity”.

There are more than 100 day-care centres operated by religious groups in Quebec and the ban follows a controversy in the spring of 2010 involving the public funding of day-care centres that provided Muslim instruction to toddlers.

The minister told the media that some of the centres would have to make “profound changes to their educational programmes”. She also announced the hiring of 58 inspectors to enforce the ban.

Catholic, Muslim and Jewish groups are considering constitutional challenges to the proposed ban.