After the students, it is the turn of the Quebec Association of French Teachers (AQPF) to request changes to the French exam for future teachers.
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The Certification Test in Written French for Teaching (TECFÉE), the success of which is mandatory to become a qualified teacher, has caused a lot of ink to flow in recent weeks. Future teachers have even called for a replacement strike to protest against its terms.
Following a survey of its members, the AQPF is now taking a position in an open letter sent to the media on Tuesday. “We wanted to throw our stone in the pond,” says its vice-president of communications, Justin Taschereau, who sent an open letter to the media on this subject on Tuesday.
The Association first calls for an update of the TECFÉE so that it better reflects the teaching context. The section on the language code, which includes some 60 multiple-choice questions, is the one that arouses the most criticism. This part notably includes definitions of vocabulary words or expressions that future teachers must master.
More transparency
The members of the AQPF are also campaigning for greater transparency surrounding this examination. They demand that the data surrounding its passing in Quebec universities be made public by the Ministry of Education, as well as the financial statements of CÉFRANC, the non-profit organization that manages the test.
To achieve this, the Association is calling for the holding of a national summit on the TECFÉE in order to discuss the requested changes. This “major national event” in which all partners in education could participate would make it possible to have “a frank, transparent and democratic discussion on the certification of the French language” of future teachers, indicates Mr. Taschereau, who specifies that this evaluation remains “essential”.
The AQPF is a group of teachers and stakeholders in the teaching of French, from preschool to university, which has approximately 420 members.
Another strike day in sight
For their part, the students who organized a first day of replacement strike to protest against the terms of the TECFÉE intend to do it again on Thursday, with a second day of protest.
They had discussions with the office of the Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville, but nothing has changed since, deplores Caroline Fournier, one of the initiators of the Regroupement pour la modification du TECFÉE, who is studying education at the University of Quebec to Rimouski.
At Minister Drainville’s office, it is indicated that the elected official “is aware of the issues related to this file”. “Discussions have taken place and the dialogue will continue,” adds his press officer, Florence Plourde.