At the dawn of strikes in Quebec schools, the Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville, “does not rule out” the possibility of having to resume strike days later in the school calendar.
“The decision has not yet been made,” he said Thursday morning. “As you know, the law prescribes 180 days in class, 180 days of educational services and 20 days of pedagogical days. […] I would tell you that it will depend a lot on the duration of the strikes,” he added.
Could Quebec ask schools to cut back on educational days or extend the school year? “We can’t rule it out. Absolutely,” replied the minister.
Mr. Drainville, however, assured that he remained hopeful of reaching a negotiated agreement with the teaching unions. “We still have hope that the unions will come back with a real counter-offer, because there hasn’t really been one until now,” he declared. In the morning, the President of the Treasury Board, Sonia Lebel, assured that there was “colossal work” being done at the negotiating tables.
In the absence of an agreement, the 66,000 members of the Autonomous Education Federation (FAE) will begin an indefinite general strike from November 23. Many professionals and support staff members, as well as the majority of Quebec teachers (60%) — all represented by the Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ), affiliated with the Inter-union Common Front — will walk out on November 21, 22 and 23 .
“It is certain that we are dangerously approaching the deadline,” agreed Minister Drainville. But there are still discussions. » He said he hoped that teachers would give “materials to the children so that they can, a little, continue their learning”. “It must not become a holiday, a break,” he added.
The FAE believes that handing over work at home would hinder its members’ right to strike. The CSQ affirms for its part that this decision falls within the autonomy of the teacher.
A new pavilion at Laval University
Minister Drainville visited Laval University to announce the construction of a new teaching building. The 1,200 square meter project, whose cost is estimated at $19.2 million, aims to welcome 175 new students in teaching, psychoeducation, guidance, sports intervention and school administration. Its inauguration is scheduled for fall 2028,
Through “stimulating” and “state-of-the-art” spaces, the Minister of Higher Education, Pascale Déry, said she was “convinced” of attracting more students and increasing, “significantly”, the number of teaching graduates. Laval University will offer a “more participatory” model: the spaces will be particularly adapted to accommodate students from the school environment.
Minister Drainville, for his part, recalled that around 5,000 people register for the baccalaureate in teaching each year. “After four years, there are 3,000 left. So there is a lot going on between the first and fourth years,” he observed.
This disaffection during the baccalaureate course is not specific to teaching programs, later clarified the dean of the Faculty of Educational Sciences at the same university, Anabelle Viau-Guay. “It’s a challenge in higher education, […] a widespread challenge,” she stressed. She said she was “favorable to measures that promote the success of our students”, such as remuneration for teaching internships.
Minister Drainville, for his part, said he hoped that the “very stimulating” and “very rewarding environment” of the new pavilion will give the university the means to retain more students. The rector of Laval University, Sophie D’Amours, was delighted to be able to offer students “a different experience”, a “modern, inspiring and vibrant” environment.