In order to standardize and speed up the processing of complaints in Quebec schools, the government appoints its first national student ombudsman. This is Jean-François Bernier, former deputy ombudsman.
Posted at 11:36 a.m.
Mr. Bernier was chosen for his “excellent mastery of dispute resolution mechanisms and a good knowledge of the Quebec education system,” writes the Ministry of Education in a press release issued Thursday morning. Prior to his appointment, he was President of the Quebec Conditional Liberation Commission.
The Legault government has undertaken to reform the way in which complaints are handled in schools following, in particular, the publication in 2017 of a very critical report by the Québec Ombudsman, which observed that the exercise had the air of ” obstacle course”.
The lack of independence of the student ombudspersons responsible for handling these complaints within the school service centers was also noted. In some places, the student ombudsman had received no complaints for an entire school year. It was explained by a “high level of satisfaction” of parents and pupils.
The reform, which will be in force at the start of the 2023 school year, must ensure a reduction in the time for processing complaints and a maximum of three steps to be heard.
In this context, the National Student Ombudsman (PNE) will have to ensure that all students in Quebec, “especially vulnerable clienteles”, have access to a fair complaint examination process.
In interview at The Press last week, the Minister of Education Jean-François Roberge assured that this new way of doing things constituted a real “change of culture” for schools.