” […] there are things that are done by general managers with the agreement of the board of directors that do not necessarily suit us. This sentence is from Premier François Legault, who said it in an interview in Rivière-du-Loup when he was talking about the governance of school service centers in Quebec. The rest of his remarks, reported in The Pressstems from this centralizing logic and announces a fairly bleak future for the public education network (yes, public only…).
When the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) was in opposition, its electoral compass required it to denounce and accuse the Liberal government of having centralized everything in the health network. Obviously, once in power, it chose to adopt this devastating formula and apply it to the public education system.
As a former elected school official who ardently defended the relevance of local choices in education, I feel particularly challenged by the Prime Minister’s remarks.
I invite you to listen to the arguments and warnings of elected school officials regarding the centralization of powers in the hands of the Minister of Education during the hearings of the parliamentary committee on Bill 40. features the harmful effects of the disappearance of the counter-power exercised by the school boards and the desire of the new CAQ government to centralize decisions in Quebec.
The elected school officials had also questioned the general management, who were rather favorable to Bill 40 and the elimination of elected school officials: “Who will guarantee you professional autonomy when the elected school officials are no longer there; when you become accountable only to the Minister of Education and, ultimately, to the Prime Minister? Their willingness to collaborate in the change (it was their point at the time) probably honors them; it would still have been necessary to check whether the general management and the CAQ shared the same definition of the verb “collaborate”.
I also remember the seductive phrases used by the CAQ to put the population to sleep. “We must bring decisions closer to those who know the children by name. “We must depoliticize the public education network. » « A board of directors will give a voice to parents, employees and members of the community, all gathered around the same table. “Instead of paying elected officials, we will offer services to students. »
I probably forget some, but we have to admit that as sweet as these words were, they were ultimately only siren songs. Have we been fooled? Because after all, there are no more services for students. Undoubtedly, politics is never far away, and the CAQ project further distances decisions from the fine knowledge of the million students in Quebec. As for getting everyone around the table, the imposition of a code of conduct will have quickly silenced them.
I sincerely wonder if governance experts support the leadership model that Mr. Legault seems to want to exercise on the public education network. Because, if we listen carefully to the reaction of the general management to the Prime Minister’s call for obedience, we will hear a silence linked to their “duty of reserve”. They will then become spokespersons for the minister or, at best, the timid and polite murmur of the Fédération des centers de service scolaire du Québec in reaction to this professional invalidation.
However, the general managers were hired for their leadership, their vision of the development of the organization, their ability to analyze complex local situations and their willingness to make often courageous decisions to promote the success of the greatest number of students. This new threat to the governance of the public network will undoubtedly stifle the courage, initiative and talent of our education leaders in Quebec.
Then, finally, I find myself wondering if we are witnessing an admission of failure of the model put in place by this government barely three years ago or if, even worse, the movement of centralization and elimination of any counter-power started in February 2020 by the CAQ is only continuing its devastating journey.
Fortunately, the citizen forums in education started Friday in Montreal and will continue throughout Quebec during the spring. This is a golden opportunity to speak out on major education issues, including school governance. All Quebecers are welcome. Hoping to hear from our education leaders as well.