Parents have to pay several hundred dollars during the summer so that their children in high school in the public network can take classes they missed during the school year, which raises concerns about the accessibility of the service. Faced with this situation, the parents’ committees call on Quebec to do “cleaning up” and finance the summer courses.
The decision whether or not to charge for these summer courses varies from one school service center to another. In Quebec, the Center de services scolaire de la Capitale offers summer courses through its educational services portal and also redirects students to external online services, such as École Succès Scolaire, an educational establishment. non-subsidized private education that offers distance learning courses. Amounts range from $175 to $565 this summer for high school refresher courses in math, English, French, history or science, depending on what The dutyhas noted. Those who simply want to retake a ministry exam will have to pay $150 on the school’s School Success website.
In Laval, parents must pay $325 for a resumption course, just like at the Center de services scolaire des Portages-de-l’Outaouais. At the Center de services scolaire des Draveurs, the fees are $380. And at the online learning center of the Center de services scolaire de la Beauce-Etchemin, open to all high school students in the province, the bill varies from $260 to $340, depending on the remedial course chosen.
Lack of accessibility?
These amounts and the differences from one school service center to another raise eyebrows Sylvain Martel, spokesperson for the Regroupement des Comités de Parents Autonomes du Québec. “There is a concern for accessibility. We are aimed at students who have certain difficulties, who need to catch up with summer courses to be able to continue their learning, ”he says, worrying about the effects on academic success. “The means of paying for those who are in a disadvantaged environment is more problematic. We come to penalize people who are already penalized. »
“This is a file where we could think of imposing a provincial standard, so that there is no inequity in access to summer courses, adds Mr. Martel. There would be some housework to do. »
At the Federation of Parents’ Committees of Quebec, we are concerned about accessibility with regard to fees, but also with regard to the very possibility of taking a summer course. “We would like it to be marked out, underlines its president, Kévin Roy. The school service centers are not obliged to offer this service, so there is a concern for inequity between the establishments. He adds that Quebec should fund summer courses to promote academic success.
While several school service centers offer online or face-to-face paid options, some, in the minority according to the findings of the Duty, have decided not to charge parents a fee this summer. This is notably the case of the Center de services scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoys, which has more than 70,000 students on the island of Montreal. He explains that this decision is discussed and taken annually.
“We are aware that some students have been affected by the pandemic period and believe that we must give every possible chance to families whose children have been tested in their school career,” writes a spokesperson.
Summer courses are also free at the Center de services scolaire de la Pointe-de-l’Île, “for the sake of fairness,” said a spokesperson.
Many reasons
The school service centers that charge fees invoke the fact that summer courses are a service offered outside the normal educational framework. “So we have to charge according to the service. The objective is not to make a profit, but to achieve a balanced budget,” explains Andréane Proulx, communications manager at the Center de services scolaire des Chênes in Drummondville.
The bill is $250 for summer courses, and the establishment shares an online course platform with the Center de services scolaire du Chemin-du-Roy and the Center de services scolaire de la Riveraine.
“Apart from the school calendar, we have no budget from the ministry associated with that,” adds Anne-Marie Bellerose, from the Center de services scolaire du Chemin-du-Roy, in Trois-Rivières. So for us, it’s a way to pay for the resources we need. »
Several establishments nevertheless ensure that the success of the students takes precedence. “If someone encounters financial difficulties, we always make an arrangement with our students and their parents, with an agreement for example. We are not going to penalize a student, we are not leaving people hanging, ”says Anne-Marie Bellerose.
The Center de services scolaire de Laval, for its part, specifies that school principals monitor their students so that summer courses remain accessible to all and that there is support for families who need help. ‘financial aid. Shuttles are also available free of charge.
Contacted on this subject, the Ministry of Education indicates that “the situation described corresponds to the frameworks currently in force”. “The school’s governing board may organize educational services other than those provided for in the Basic school regulation for preschool, elementary and secondary education”, we write, which includes summer courses. The Education Act allows institutions to require a financial contribution from parents for the use of these services.
For its part, the office of the Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville, indicated to the Duty that he would make “verifications to this effect”.