CEGEPs full to bursting | La Presse

Thousands of additional students will arrive this fall on the benches of CEGEPs, which are forced in some cases to install modular classes and extend class periods to cope with the increase in student numbers. At least one institution has had to turn away students due to lack of space. “This is a warning signal for the entire network,” says the Fédération étudiante collégiale du Québec.

This is the scenario that CEGEPs wanted to avoid at all costs. Closing the door to students. But Montmorency College in Laval had to resolve to this this fall.

“We had to refuse more than 1,000 requests due to lack of space,” its communications department told The Press. The establishment, which is still waiting for the green light from Quebec for an expansion project, has seen its admission requests jump by 24% in the first round in three years.

The Quebec College Student Federation is seriously concerned about this situation.

“When a CEGEP ends up refusing 1,000 requests due to lack of space, it’s not just a local problem, it’s a warning signal for the entire network,” says its president, Antoine Dervieux.

“Caravans” here to stay

The arrival of baby boomers’ grandchildren is being felt in the college network, where modular classes have been multiplying since last year to accommodate the increase in enrollment.

Some establishments are already announcing it: the famous “trailers” are not about to disappear.

This is particularly the case of Lionel-Groulx College in Sainte-Thérèse, which has installed two modular complexes housing around twenty classrooms on its land.

The establishment plans to use it until the delivery of its expansion project, which includes the construction of a new pavilion, in 2030.

“Our permanent facilities are insufficient,” explains the college’s director general, Philippe Nasr.

This fall, the school has 450 more students than last year. And 800 more than two years ago. By 2029, it expects to welcome 7,500 students, 1,000 more than it currently has.

“This is a huge step forward,” Mr. Nasr said.

Evening classes will be held there for the first time this fall. The goal: to absorb the increase in the number of students by extending class periods.

Next year, a smaller expansion project will allow the addition of around thirty classrooms.

In the meantime, the CEGEP must come up with a number of creative solutions to compensate for the missing space, including renting premises outside.

“We have explored all possible options. We still want to offer suitable facilities,” continues Mr. Nasr.

Cégep Édouard-Montpetit is also banking on modular classes to fill the space deficit over the coming years.

The Longueuil establishment’s enrollment jumped by nearly 1,000 students compared to last year, an increase of 9%.

On its website, the CEGEP assures that its modular classes are “bright, air-conditioned and technological” to accommodate students.

In a brief filed this Wednesday, the Fédération étudiante collégiale du Québec said it fears that the famous “trailers” will become a permanent response to the problem.

“We think it should remain temporary,” says Antoine Dervieux.

Capacity reached

With 300 additional students expected in the fall, the Vieux Montréal Cégep has also reached its limit.

“We are at the limit of what we can accommodate,” says its general manager, Mylène Boisclair.

Seeing the wave coming, the establishment had filed a request for an expansion project several years ago. Instead, Quebec granted it funds for the rental of premises.

“There has been a lot of talk about the dilapidated state of primary and secondary schools, but this is also the case for many colleges,” emphasizes Mr.^me Boisclair.

Meanwhile, a recent report from the Auditor General called into question a request for expansion authorized by the government of the Saint-Félicien CEGEP in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, which nevertheless has excess space.

“Is this really the priority? There are campuses in the metropolitan area that are collapsing under the population,” laments Antoine Dervieux.

Lack of vision

Overflowing schools have not seen the worst. By 2032, more than 24,000 additional students will arrive on the benches of CEGEPs, an increase of 14%.

According to the most recent forecasts from the Ministry of Higher Education, the peak of the wave should be reached in 2026 and be concentrated in the CEGEPs of Greater Montreal, with growth then expected to slow gradually.

If nothing is done, the Fédération étudiante collégiale du Québec is concerned about the consequences of the lack of space on students, for example with the increase in the number of online courses.

“This comes with different consequences. Sometimes, classes start earlier and end later. There are more irregular schedules for the student population,” notes Mr. Dervieux.

According to him, the emergency solutions put in place to absorb the increase in school numbers will not be enough.

“What is undeniable is that we need more funds to finance the repair of obsolete infrastructure, but also to build new buildings,” he emphasizes.

Asked to comment on the significant increase in the student population, the Fédération des cégeps did not grant an interview to The Press.