Whether we like it or not, the effects of confinement, distancing and digital hegemony are there. The pandemic has only aggravated an evil that was already eating away at Quebec schools.
Posted at 10:00 a.m.
In this new school year 2022, like coming out of a hurricane, we are gradually taking the measure of the extent of the damage. Learning difficulties have increased tenfold. It’s dramatic. I believe that this pandemic will leave its mark in our children’s notebooks for years to come. However, I have confidence in our experts. Teachers, remedial teachers, specialized educators will succeed in softening the curve, the other curve…
The situation that worries me right now is the psychological difficulties, the mental health of the children and the violent behavior that some adopt.
My comrades Annie Charland and Claudine Léveillé recently denounced in The Press physical attacks by students on support staff.1
The violence, already present in the past, has increased tenfold, but above all it has spread.
Tenfold, because children with behavioral difficulties go further and further in the actions they take.
Extensive, because in the past it was experienced more in specialized classes. Today, it is common in regular schools and appears in younger and younger students.
This problem is a priority, but it has a more discreet little sister. What about invisible wounds? From the trauma, from the exhaustion that the omnipresence and the recurrence of this violence cause? What about the dazzling increase in incivility towards adults, but also between children? Add to that the demotivation and disillusionment of some young people, the disengagement of parents whose mental health is also precarious, you get an unhealthy soup that further poisons an already moribund system.
The situation is all the more serious as the omerta which reigns over the world of education prevents individuals from denouncing publicly. A #claquesurlagueule or #devotéemayistannée, similar to the #metoo movement would be unthinkable in education. Whistleblowers would be sanctioned on the altar of sacrosanct loyalty to the employer.
The speakers are exhausted, absent, are difficult to replace. Beginners as experienced, many leave the ship. We are losing great people every day. Those who remain hold the network at arm’s length, one or two events away from letting it go or losing their health.
During this time, we are told about brushing our teeth at school. It is even made a public health issue. This dichotomy testifies to the immeasurable disconnection of our leaders from the field. She’s also a slap in the face. Are you being beaten, is your psychological health affected as well? I hear what you say! Now let’s talk about brushing your teeth.
The problem is systemic. And even if our Prime Minister does not like this word, we will have to face the facts. Everything has to be rebuilt. No, I’m not talking about reengineering or the Barrette method. This time, I suggest that we consult the people in the field, that we listen to them and not just hear them.
I am proposing general assemblies on education to which unions, managers, but also individual employees, parents and of course…students would be invited.
We will not improve the education network without the help of the people who live in the schools every day. We need a societal change: the return of respect for school staff. It starts with leaders who recognize us and take into account our indispensable and essential contribution.