For the second year in a row, the number of students enrolled in CEGEP in the fall is below departmental forecasts. “A warning signal”, believes the Fédération des cégeps, which fears the impacts of the pandemic and the shortage of labor on school perseverance.
Posted at 12:00 a.m.
The number of registrations in CEGEPs stands at 173,392 college students, a decrease of 1.1% compared to the fall of 2021, according to preliminary data collected by the Federation of CEGEPs from its 48 members.
However, the Ministry of Education anticipated a 1.3% increase in clientele at the start of the school year, according to demographic forecasts.
Also of concern: the number of students enrolled for the first time – the majority of whom come out of secondary school benches – fell by 0.5%, which represents 385 people.
In some regions, the decline is even more marked. In Abitibi-Témiscamingue, there is a decrease of 5.4% and in Bas-Saint-Laurent, a drop of 3.8% in registrations.
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
Bernard Tremblay, president of the Fédération des cégeps, in an editorial interview with The Press
It’s not huge, but you have to understand that something is going on.
Bernard Tremblay, President of the Federation of Cegeps
Despite the return to class, the Federation fears the effects of the pandemic on “young people’s ability to learn and on their mental health”. Are more young people dropping out of school or failing to pass secondary school? “It’s a hypothesis,” says Mr. Tremblay.
In any case, “these young people will require special attention from CEGEP staff members,” he believes.
This calls, according to him, for “much more muscular” support from students in CEGEP. Especially since since 2017, CEGEP students who report a diagnosis of disability are five times higher.
“These young people arrive at CEGEP and there is a break in approach. They don’t have the same supply of resources [qu’à l’école secondaire] “, argues Bernard Tremblay.
Educate businesses
The other hypothesis put forward by the Fédération des cégeps to explain the drop in enrollment is the shortage of manpower.
Do students let themselves be seduced by the tempting job offers that abound?
If this is the case, we must “remind young people of the importance of continuing their studies to avoid compromising their future”, underlines the Federation, which also wishes to make companies aware of the issue.
[La transformation de notre économie] determines the success of higher education. As we know, in a crisis situation, it is always the least educated who suffer.
Bernard Tremblay, President of the Federation of Cegeps
To tackle the labor challenge, the Fédération des cégeps proposes to attract more foreign students, many of whom choose to stay in Quebec after their studies.
Currently, 6,440 international students are enrolled in CEGEP for regular education, an increase of 9.6% compared to the same period last year.
According to the Federation, this number could easily double – if we gave ourselves the tools to do so. This requires, in particular, the development of a concerted strategy to promote CEGEPs internationally.
“We have the infrastructure, we have the capacity. But internationally, of course, Quebec is not very visible. We must position the Quebec CEGEP model well, ”argues Bernard Tremblay.