The multiplication of specific programs in secondary schools is the key to certain neighborhood public secondary schools becoming more “attractive,” believes Bernard Drainville, who encourages parents to “push” for their neighborhood school to establish them.
The Minister of Education was reacting to an article from The Press published Tuesday, which revealed that in certain public secondary schools in Montreal, less than half of the students enrolled come from the neighborhood where the school is located.
The Montreal School Service Center (CSSDM) wants to stem the “shopping” that causes many students to avoid the secondary school closest to them.
“What this tells me is that we need to increase the number of specific projects in public secondary schools in Quebec. This is a clear government direction,” reiterated Bernard Drainville.
The minister says he “encourages parents to push for special projects in their schools”. It is up to the governing board of each public secondary school to decide which programs are offered.
Quebec increased this year from $200 to $300 the amount it funds for student participation in a particular program. Bernard Drainville affirms that as a result, two out of three students who are currently in special projects in Quebec do not pay fees.
“How do we multiply you? »
Bernard Drainville and François Legault were visiting the new Irénée-Lussier school on Tuesday morning, which welcomes students in Montreal who have an intellectual disability with an autism spectrum disorder.
They were welcomed by union members of the inter-union common front who were demonstrating as part of the renewal of collective agreements in the public sector.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
“How do we multiply you? », asked Prime Minister François Legault to psychoeducators and occupational therapists at this specialized school.
In the schools of the Montreal School Service Center (CSSDM) as elsewhere in the province, the shortage is felt among teachers, but also among the professionals who are responsible for supporting students.
Both François Legault and Bernard Drainville said they were banking on the classroom aid project, “an investment of several hundred million per year”, to improve the working conditions of teachers.
“It would allow us to add a second adult to the class who would come and help the teachers. It’s a very concrete way of promoting them, of providing them with help, particularly in classes where there are many students with special needs,” declared Minister Drainville.