This text is part of the special public school notebook
The multiplication and accessibility of special programs are one of the objectives set by the Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville, in order to increase the attractiveness of public schools. Two education specialists, however, are concerned about the lack of accessibility of these programs, arguing that they risk reinforcing social inequalities.
Initially designed to make public schools more attractive and to limit the exodus to private establishments, special educational programs concern 44.6% of secondary students, according to the Ministry of Education, which plans to increase this figure to 75%. students for the year 2026-2027. However, in their current form, these programs risk perpetuating inequalities within the education system, in addition to putting pressure on teachers and students, specialists worry.
A partial solution
Specific programs only offer a “partial solution” to the problem of attractiveness of public schools, according to Pierre Canisius Kamanzi, professor in the Department of Administration and Foundations of Education at the University of Montreal. Their implementation leads to favoring students from “more affluent families”, believes the professor who points out the unequal access to educational resources, in particular because of early selection. If there must be a selection, this should occur later in the student’s progress and not immediately after primary school, as is currently the case, he argues. “We do not give all students the chance to express […] their talents. » Mr. Kamanzi believes that when entering secondary school, the student is not yet familiar with this teaching environment. This adds stress to the transition to secondary school and maintains a form of competition both between establishments, but also within them, which harms “living together” and the well-being of students, he continues. “It’s quite sad [de] see […] that, for some, the transition to secondary school becomes an element of competition, of stress, when it should be a beautiful moment,” also deplores Catherine Beauvais-St-Pierre, president of the Alliance of Professors of Montreal (APPM ).
The president of the APPM adds that special programs contribute to accentuating the phenomenon of three-speed schools. Private school and selective projects have a major effect on the composition of classes and can represent an obstacle to social diversity and heterogeneity in groups. This “results in the creation of groups with a large concentration of students at risk, in difficulty, or non-native speaking students” within ordinary classes, which represents an overload for teachers. Mixed education also has a positive effect on students who are experiencing difficulties, she says.
In addition, access to certain specific programs requires presentation documents or letters of recommendation. This can lead to a form of discrimination, because some parents are allophones or do not have the time to help their children “if they have two jobs,” explains Ms. Beauvais-St-Pierre.
Furthermore, for Pierre Canisius Kamanzi, special projects also put pressure on teachers, because they will have to be more efficient and teach differentiated subjects. This risks harming the attractiveness of the profession, already affected by the labor shortage.
Advantages
Special projects nevertheless have advantages, recognizes Mr. Kamanzi, because they make it possible to develop the “potential of each student”, to promote their talents, their tastes and to stimulate them. Both specialists agree that modifications are necessary for particular projects to achieve their objective, without discriminating.
To do this, Ms. Beauvais-St-Pierre believes that they must be accessible to all and wants students to be neither admitted nor retained in these programs based on their academic results. She thus denounces programs which “threaten students” with exclusion if they do not maintain a certain average, as well as admission conditions, which require financial investment. As indicated on the website of the Ministry of Education, the right to free service does not “extend to certain services provided as part of particular educational projects”.
The president also criticizes the admission system which excludes certain parents, due to language barriers or lack of time, thus contributing to accentuating inequalities.
Contrary to Minister Bernard Drainville’s suggestions last October, Pierre Canisius Kamanzi considers that it is not desirable for parents to encourage local schools to establish special programs. It is in fact the parents who have the means and the time who will be able to do so, he believes, which would once again encourage the reproduction of socio-economic inequalities. On the other hand, he advocates collaboration between establishments and parents, provided that all parents are involved.
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