2023-08-27 04:00:00
No more obstacle course for students and parents dissatisfied with the services provided in Quebec schools: the national student ombudsman, the new “education ombudsman”, ensures that the complaint management process will be simpler and more fast, while now being accessible to those attending private schools.
As of August 28, a parent who is dissatisfied with the services their child in difficulty receives or the measures taken to manage a case of bullying will be able to turn to a standardized complaint process, headed by the new National Student Ombudsman, Me Jean-Francois Bernier.
“The biggest impact will be in terms of accessibility, ease and speed,” he said in an interview with Journal. Another novelty, victims or witnesses of sexual violence will also be able to file a complaint or make reports under the new structure in place (see other text).
Over the past few years, criticism has been raised regarding the process in place in school service centres, a veritable “obstacle course” varying from one organization to another that could stretch for almost a year.
From now on, the complaint process will be done in three stages spread over 45 days (see below). A fast track will also be put in place to process complaints or reports of sexual violence on an “urgent” basis.
A protection mechanism against reprisals, providing for “heavy” fines, will also be in force (see details below).
more power
The national student protector, who will be assisted by 17 “regional” protectors, will also have more power since this team will now be completely independent of school service centres, assures Mr. Bernier.
“There is not this contractual link with remuneration, so you have all the leeway [dont] you need to say the real things”, he underlines.
The regional protectors will make recommendations that the organizations will however be free to follow or not.
Me Bernier may, however, make representations to recalcitrant service centers and produce an annual activity report, which will be made public.
“Recommendations do the job when there are mechanisms around that allow you to put pressure. The annual report is an excellent means,” says Mr. Bernier.
Once the recommendations have been accepted, the former deputy ombudsman also promises “close follow-up” to ensure that they are indeed implemented.
“We will not close the file as long as we are not satisfied with the nature of the follow-up that will have been made to a recommendation,” he said.
The new structure in place will also ensure greater consistency, assures Mr. Bernier. The decisions rendered by the 17 regional student ombudsmen will be reviewed by the national ombudsman who could intervene if necessary, in order to ensure greater uniformity in the school network, he said.
For its part, the Federation of Parents’ Committees says it is hopeful that this new mechanism will represent “a step forward”.
A gateway to denouncing sexual violence
The national student ombudsman, who will also be responsible for receiving complaints and reports of sexual violence, wants to put in place a mechanism to prevent sex offenders from operating from one school to another.
“How is it that someone who has cracked down in one place can crack down in another place, as we have seen in the media? That tires me quite a bit, ”drops Me Jean-François Bernier, in an interview with The newspaper.
“We will not wait to have complaints or reports, we want to look into it in the coming weeks,” he continues.
Mr. Bernier is looking for a “way through” that would ensure better flow of information between service centers and establishments.
As part of his mission, the National Protector will also be responsible for receiving complaints and reports of sexual violence.
Calls received on the special telephone line set up in the spring to report such cases will be transferred to the student ombudsman from the start of the school year. Me Bernier assures that a flesh and blood person will be available to answer calls, Monday to Friday.
The latter claims to want to bring “added value” compared to the other actors who are already involved in this type of situation.
“Our job is not to run after the culprit who committed the sexual violence, the police are there for that. We are here to ask ourselves the question: how could this event have happened?
The establishment of fines in the event of reprisals could also help to change the situation, hopes Me Bernier. It is important that people “not be afraid to speak up or report things”. “It’s important to protect them in the freedom they should have.”
In recent months, however, actors in the education network have called for more measures to protect young people from sexual violence in schools, deeming them insufficient.
A framework law, like the one in force in CEGEPs and universities, is notably demanded by the opposition parties in the National Assembly.
Three steps to file a complaint
1. File a complaint directly with the person concerned or their immediate superior, who will have 10 working days to respond.
2. If you remain dissatisfied, you must contact the organization’s complaints officer (school service centre, English school board or private school), who will have 15 working days to process your request.
3. If you remain dissatisfied, you may contact the Student Ombudsman in your region, who will have 20 working days to examine your complaint and make recommendations to the organization concerned.
And fast track for cases of sexual violence
Complaints or reports of sexual violence will be processed “as a matter of urgency”, by directly addressing the regional student ombudsman without having to go through the first two stages of the process.
Fines for retaliation
From $2,000 to $20,000 for a natural person who takes reprisals or threatens to do so From $10,000 to $250,000 for a legal person who takes reprisals or threatens to do so
Source: National Student Ombudsman
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