Posted at 9:00 a.m.
Today, I am speaking to you, Mr. Legault. It is my helpless mother’s heart that speaks to you. You know like me that the efforts have been considerable on the part of our children during the last two years. It is a large part of their childhood or adolescence that has been put on hold.
Well in spite of them. Well in spite of us.
Apart from this situation, Mr. Legault, I must, as a citizen, inform you of what is really going on in our schools. Not concerning the ventilation, since you must suspect, without admitting it, that it is far from being ideal. Not regarding requests for help from parents to perform monitoring since you must also suspect, without admitting it, that it is far from ideal.
I have to tell you a situation that represents the school life of my daughter in high school since last September. His life, but also that of several teenagers across Quebec.
Last week, my daughter texted me to tell me about a particular topic. I then frown and look at the time. I practically ignore her question and ask her if she is during her class period at this time. She replies in the affirmative, telling me that her teacher is not there and that they have the right to be on their phone while waiting for the course to end. My vase of tolerance then overflowed; it was the third time in the week. I would have been more than understanding if the situation had resulted from the face-to-face return to school in January, but unfortunately this is not the case. It’s practically once or twice a week since September that we have had a discussion together on this subject. Most of the time, when she is lucky enough to have a substitute, the person in place has no theoretical material to give to the students. So my big, today a student of 4and secondary, has spent several hours since the beginning of the year watching Netflix.
Mr. Legault, I do not know if you suspect it, but this situation does not help the motivation in any way. My daughter gets up reluctantly and wonders why the distance school did not continue since it at least gave her the chance to do something else during the lessons when the teacher is absent.
Which address ?
I wondered where to turn to for clarification. My daughter begged me not to do it for fear of reprisals. To the school administration? At the school service centre? To the faculty? As parents, we see teachers trying to do everything they can to represent some semblance of normality during their lessons while remaining nimble with all the demands that pandemic management demands. What would I have told them? To do even more?
So I am writing to you. I ask you, with the greatest humility, to recognize the situation and to admit to our teenagers that this is not the education system that we hope for now and for the future. I ask you to speak with the Minister of Education, Jean-François Roberge, to ask him to stop repeating to the population that there are very few breakdowns in service in our schools. I tremble every time.
Level 4 load shedding, there is not only in our health network and not only since the holiday season.
Education cannot be postponed until everything is better. And although solutions are or will be put in place, our children deserve to be told the truth. Our teachers too. Our directions too.
You have often repeated in press conferences that what was most important to you was that our children be in school and that they have access to education.
My daughter does not have access to education.
My daughter has access to a school.