Belzer educational institutions in Montreal have won a significant legal victory after Quebec’s Administrative Tribunal overturned a government decision that threatened to revoke their operating licenses and cut off public funding.

The ruling allows the Belzer schools and mosdos to continue operating normally while retaining the full funding necessary to run their educational programs.

Approximately two months ago, Quebec authorities moved to revoke the licenses and funding of the Belzer educational institutions in Montreal, citing alleged failures to meet government requirements governing the amount of instructional time devoted to mandatory secular subjects.

Facing the possibility that the institutions could be forced to close, administrators appealed to Quebec’s Administrative Tribunal and sought to have the government action overturned.

The tribunal has now granted the institutions’ request, canceling the government decision and clearing the way for the schools to open and operate as usual while continuing to receive their funding.

The dispute involves three Belz educational institutions in Montreal serving approximately 600 children and bochurim, including kindergartens, a Talmud Torah and a yeshiva ketana.

The Quebec government had moved to withdraw funding from the three institutions shortly before the beginning of the Elul zman.

Authorities alleged several deficiencies at the schools, including an insufficient number of qualified teachers proficient in English and French, failure to provide the required number of instructional hours for mandatory subjects, the use of educational materials that had not received government approval, and problems involving emergency exits.

Administrators of the Belz institutions strongly rejected the allegations and turned to the Administrative Tribunal seeking an injunction against the government action.

In their legal challenge, the mosdos argued that the government’s decision was based on “incorrect factual assumptions, inconsistent analysis and a disproportionate measure.”

The tribunal ultimately sided with the institutions and overturned the government decision, allowing the approximately 600 children and bochurim to continue their studies in the existing school buildings while preserving the institutions’ licenses and funding.