(Quebec) Quebec is undergoing a second reform of school governance in a little over three years. Bill 23, led by the Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville, was adopted Thursday by 76 votes to 29.
The new law – which provokes mixed reactions – will give the minister the power to appoint the directors general of school service centers, overturn their decisions or dismiss them.
The minister will also be able to regulate the continuing training of teachers, which is denounced by the unions, who consider that the measure is a frontal attack on the autonomy of teachers.
Furthermore, the law aims to improve access to data in the network, and guarantees that the student’s academic record will follow him throughout his career.
It creates the National Institute of Excellence in Education, whose mandate will be to guide the school network towards educational practices supported by evidence.
And it transforms the Higher Education Council so that it focuses solely on higher education.
During consultations last June, unions expressed fear that the national institute of excellence would not be truly independent due to the fact that its members will be appointed by the government.
They had accused Minister Drainville of wanting to appropriate all the powers and had ordered him to abandon his reform to concentrate on the problems in the classrooms. Mr. Drainville had promised to “resist resistance to change”.
The study of Bill 23 took place in the context of negotiation of a new collective agreement for the public sector.
“I would like to thank all my colleagues who participated in the preparation of this bill. Whether in committee or in the ministry, the collaborative work has borne fruit,” declared Mr. Drainville in a press release sent on Thursday.
“We are improving the efficiency of the network. […] Better coherence between government direction and the field, improved access to data and the creation of the National Institute of Excellence will be beneficial for the success of our young people,” he added.
On Thursday, the Federation of School Service Centers of Quebec (FCSSQ) also welcomed the adoption of Bill 23.
In a press release, it notes progress “in particular with regard to the creation of a national institute of excellence and the establishment of a system for filing and communicating information common to the entire public network of education “.
“This solution will standardize their collection and facilitate transmission by school service centers,” declared the president and CEO of the FCSSQ, Caroline Dupré.
“This information will make it possible to obtain a better overall vision of the network, to support the management, organization and planning of services in order to make the network even more effective and efficient,” she added.
Furthermore, the FCSSQ welcomes the addition of seven new programs to the Regulation respecting teaching authorizations, which will contribute, according to it, “to quickly qualify even more people to teach in our establishments and to counter the labor shortage. of work”.