Registrations for the fall semester in the 48 CEGEPs in Quebec have experienced a slight decrease rather than the increase that was anticipated. The demotivation of students due to the pandemic and the attraction of easy jobs due to the shortage of workers are blamed to explain the decrease in interest in higher education.
The number of students enrolled in CEGEPs fell by 1.1% compared to the start of the school year last fall. The Ministry of Higher Education rather predicted a 1.3% increase in the number of CEGEP students, according to demographic projections.
This loss of momentum worries the Fédération des cégeps, which is calling for a vast campaign to promote higher education in Quebec and a boost from the government to recruit foreign students, especially in regional cégeps.
“The situation is not critical, but we are losing students who should normally have come to college this fall,” underlines the president and CEO of the Federation, Bernard Tremblay. Some 173,392 students are enrolled in regular education in CEGEPs.
The disruptions of the pandemic have reduced the motivation of young people. Academic results may have dropped in high school, preventing students from enrolling in college. Easier than ever access to jobs requiring few qualifications has probably also harmed the attractiveness of college studies, believes the CEGEP representative.
“The Legault government says that its priority is education, we think that the parties should take advantage of the election campaign to also promote higher education. We saw it with the pandemic: as soon as there is a crisis, it is the least trained workers who suffer,” argues Mr. Tremblay.
Demographic boom in sight
The demographic forecasts of the Ministry of Higher Education all the same evoke a significant increase of 25,000 students in the CEGEPs of the greater Montreal region in the coming years, recalls the CEO of the Federation. The demographic boom that is overflowing primary (and now secondary) schools will reach colleges.
In addition, the capping of registrations in English-speaking CEGEPs, decreed by “Law 96”, will bring French speakers to French colleges in Greater Montreal.
The 21 CEGEPs in the metropolitan area plan to run out of space. Quebec relies in particular on the rental of premises to accommodate these thousands of students, but the formula has its limits due to the real estate crisis and the lack of commercial spaces offered for rent near the CEGEPs, underlines Bernard Tremblay.
Elsewhere in the region, however, CEGEPs are struggling with declining enrolments. This is one of the reasons why Quebec has created Parcours grants for student mobility, of $7,500 per year, which will be paid to selected students from 18 CEGEPs located in the regions. The goal is to convince 5,000 young people to study in Shawinigan, La Pocatière or Baie-Comeau, for example, rather than in the major centres.
Foreign students
Regional CEGEPs rely heavily on foreign students to replenish their ranks, explains Bernard Tremblay. The number of students from other countries increased by 9.6% compared to last year, reaching 6,440 people. Slightly more than half of them (3429) are new registrants.
Quebec has set up another program that will offer scholarships of 80 million over four years to foreign students who will pursue higher education in the regions (and in French) in five fields in high demand (education, early childhood, engineering, health and services social, information technology).
The Fédération des cégeps welcomes the initiative, but is calling for a boost from the government to better coordinate the promotion of higher education in Quebec. “Foreign students are courted by France, by the United Kingdom, by the United States. It flashes everywhere! We think that Quebec must make CEGEPs known so that we are attached to the “Quebec brand” abroad,” argues Bernard Tremblay.
“We are experts in integration,” he adds. The government wants to recruit 1000 nurses abroad. When a nurse arrives here, we complete her training. We do more: we integrate them socially, we take them to student residences, we make them experience social activities. »