Overcrowded classes, lack of support, shortage of teachers: there are many difficulties in the Quebec education system and several challenges await the new Minister of Education Bernard Drainville.
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Several primary and secondary teachers interviewed by TVA Nouvelles say they lack support and want more specialists in the classroom.
The lack of teachers also weighs on the workload of those who are in post.
On November 9, more than 700 teaching positions, 300 psychologists and full or part-time speech therapists remained to be filled.
To fill this gap, several non-legally qualified people are hired.
“In the short term, it may seem like a good thing […], but in the medium or longer term, it’s really not a good idea. First, because it puts pressure on experienced teachers in the classes who have to support colleagues who are quickly overwhelmed, ”believes Mélanie Hubert, Independent Federation of Education.
The poor condition of many schools is also an important issue to address.
In Quebec, nearly 1,800 school buildings are considered to be in poor or very poor condition.
In order to improve the situation, the Autonomous Federation of Education (FAE) and the Quebec Federation of Educational Establishment Directors (FQDE) are reaching out to the Minister of Education.
“We can talk regarding the 12 works of Bernard Drainville, and I think it’s going to be important that we take on one challenge at a time, one problem at a time, but that we get to the end of things,” says Nicolas Prévost. , president of the FQDE.
Among these solutions, the unions propose “a halt to the establishment of 4-year-old kindergartens for a short time”.
“Not because we don’t believe in the implementation, not at all, but if we add 200-300 new classes per year, we increase this pressure on the network,” explains Mr. Prévost.
It would also require a greater investment.
Education is the second largest government expenditure item following health. A budget of $19.2 billion for the year 2022-2023.
An amount that is not enough, according to the president of the FQDE.
“The money we have now only keeps the boat afloat and we realize that once we have repaired or built a new school, there are other challenges that arise. ‘come,’ he says.
