(Montreal) Education Minister Bernard Drainville is scheduled to meet with the media on Friday morning to provide an update on vacant positions in schools as the start of the school year approaches.
Mr. Drainville called the press to Montreal at 10:30 a.m. to make an “announcement regarding the start of the school year.” On his X account, the minister specified that “the focus will be on positions to be filled.”
For several days, stakeholders in the education network have been complaining that they do not have access to the most recent data on the number of positions still vacant in schools a few days before the start of the school year.
The education system could have to accommodate up to 20,000 more students than last year during the next school year, according to the Ministry of Education, which would result in the need for 1,000 more teachers.
Furthermore, political parties and trade unions have stated that Minister Drainville should also take advantage of his press conference to take stock of other issues, including violence in schools and the dilapidated state of buildings.
“The minister has a duty to ensure that all students, teachers and school support staff can learn, teach and work while feeling safe. I call on him to unveil this Friday the measures he intends to adopt as soon as the school year starts,” said PQ MNA Pascal Bérubé in a press release.
For its part, the Confederation of National Trade Unions (CSN) argued that despite the signing of new collective agreements with public sector workers, the education network is still struggling with numerous problems, including a shortage of staff “at all levels.”