The condition of buildings is rapidly deteriorating in the college network: 65% of CEGEPs are now in poor condition, while the situation is improving in primary and secondary schools.
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According to the most recent government data, 53% of CEGEPs are in poor condition while 12% of them are in very poor condition.
The proportion of CEGEPs obtaining a “D” or “E” rating has also increased considerably in just one year, since it was 54% last year.
With such a poor score, CEGEPs are among Quebec’s public infrastructures in the worst shape, trailing only the facilities of the Olympic Park in Montreal in this unenviable list.
To remedy the situation, Quebec is planning an increase of $205 million in the sums devoted to renovations in higher education, for a total of $6.5 billion within 10 years.
For their part, universities are doing better since 43% of their buildings are in poor condition.
Furthermore, an additional $776 million will be devoted to projects to add space in CEGEPs and universities within 10 years, when a significant increase in students is anticipated.
Quebec will also provide nearly $200 million for student housing projects, while CEGEPs and universities were demanding investments of more than $1 billion within 10 years.
Overall, the increase in higher education spending expected in 2024-2025 is 4%.
In the school network, the reinvestments of recent years in school renovations are starting to show results: for the first time in a long time, the proportion of establishments in poor condition is starting to decrease, having fallen from 61% to 56% in a year.
Extended catch-up plan
Furthermore, the catch-up plan announced in January by the Legault government will continue in primary and secondary schools in 2024-2025.
In January, the Legault government announced a sum of $300 million by the end of the school year to help the students most affected by the strike.
However, only half of this amount will ultimately be spent by June, so that $150 million will be available next year to continue catch-up efforts. However, this is not new money.
The budget documents also reveal that the strike at the end of 2023 in the education network allowed the government to save $510 million in unpaid salaries to school staff.
Sigh of relief
More generally, the increase in education-related spending planned for 2024-2025 is 7.6%, according to the program spending budget, an increase described as “exceptional” by the Minister of Finance, Eric. Girard. “We really want to improve the quality of education services,” he said.
This increase will make it possible to finance the measures agreed in the new collective agreements, such as salary increases, classroom assistance in 14,000 classes and the creation of 5,000 permanent full-time teaching positions.
For their part, the Federation of School Service Centers and the Autonomous Federation of Education (FAE) had estimated the increase necessary to cover all “system costs” in education at at least 7%.
“We are pleasantly surprised,” said the president of the FAE, Mélanie Hubert, who speaks of “good news”, at least for this year.
However, the growth in education spending could drop considerably next year, since Quebec is forecasting an increase of only 1% for 2025-2026.
Education: some concrete measures in 2024-2025
- $150 million to continue catch-up efforts after the strike (which is part of the $300 million already announced in January)
- $80 million to combat the teacher shortage
- $2.6 million for school transportation companions for students with special needs