Fewer steps to file a complaint, independent protectors from school administrations and protection that applies to all students, whether public or private: the Minister of Education tabled a bill on Tuesday to to create a post of national student protector.
Bill 9 tabled by the Minister of Education Jean-François Roberge aims to constitute “an independent body, external to the school network”. This organization would be under the leadership of a national student protector, who would coordinate regional protectors.
Currently, each school service center (formerly school boards) has its own Student Ombudsman responsible for handling complaints.
However, filing a complaint in a school service center is the equivalent of an “obstacle course”, deplored the Ombudsperson, Marie Rinfret, in 2017. In her report, she observed that four steps had to be taken before being able to do so. submit their complaint to the Student Ombudsman.
According to the bill tabled on Tuesday, the handling of complaints would be standardized across Quebec and consist of “three maximum and successive stages”.
While he was critical of the CAQ in matters of education, Jean-François Roberge had denounced the “totally ineffective” role of the Student Ombudsman and had undertaken to reform his role if he were elected.
Mr. Roberge also deplored that students who attend private schools have no such recourse. Under the bill tabled Tuesday, they could now refer to their regional protector.
Each year, the National Student Ombudsman should report to the National Assembly stating the number, nature and grounds of complaints handled, the timeframe for examining complaints and their recommendations.