Hundreds of thousands of students in the province begin their eighth day without school this Thursday due to strikes affecting the public sector. For those who attend a private establishment, however, school continues without interruption: this is a “privilege” of the private network, say two teachers.
Teachers are on the streets demanding better working conditions and it is true that during this time, students are not in school.
All students in Quebec? No.
If there is a difference between the number of days of strikes depending on whether teachers are affiliated to the Federation of Teaching Unions (FSE) or the Autonomous Federation of Education (FAE), the two main teaching unions, there is also a marked contrast between the public network and the private network. The second is spared by strikes.
Even “more inequalities”
Full professor at the Faculty of Educational Sciences at the University of Montreal, Marie-Odile Magnan establishes a certain parallel between what is currently happening and the pandemic.
“We saw during COVID-19 how inequalities were exacerbated between these two sectors. With each crisis, we see that it is the public who suffers more inequalities,” says Mme Magnan.
However, continues the professor, “research shows that wealthy parents are more likely to be able to afford private access.”
As a result, “it is the least well-off parents who do not have access to the privilege of not suffering an interruption of service in times of crisis”, continues Mme Magnan.
“A certain privilege”
Assistant professor at the Faculty of Education at Laval University, Kevin Naimi also observes that this public sector strike is “another example of a certain privilege for students in the private network”.
This strike, the professor believes, will have an impact on already vulnerable students, “a reality that we see quite regularly” in the public network. But he adds that “teachers are precisely on strike for better support for the public system”.
This is also what is argued by the president of the Alliance of Professors of Montreal (APPM), a union affiliated with the FAE, which launched an indefinite general strike on November 23.
The battle we are waging is for our working conditions, but also for the learning conditions of our students. And public schools, which have lacked love for years, have been underfunded for years.
Catherine Beauvais-St-Pierre, president of the APPM
“Private schools are not in the same boat,” adds Catherine Beauvais-St-Pierre.
Yes, there are students who have not been going to school for several days, but the gaps between young people in Quebec are already clearly visible, continues the president of the APPM.
“We have a government which refuses to stop funding private schools, refuses to admit that three-tier schools have direct and negative consequences on students, which is not interested in public schools,” says Catherine Beauvais-St-Pierre.
PHOTO SARAH MONGEAU-BIRKETT, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Catherine Beauvais-St-Pierre, president of the APPM
“This is what harms our students and contributes to this gap,” she continues.
Private school funding called into question
Is public funding for private schools the elephant in the room in this negotiation? Should we see it again?
“Absolutely,” says Professor Kevin Naimi.
“The fact that the government subsidizes a system that creates inequalities needs to be reviewed, that’s for sure. If we compare Quebec to other provinces, funding is much, much higher in Quebec,” adds Mr. Naimi.
In the context of the negotiations, this is a relevant question, also says Professor Marie-Odile Magnan.
“We can ask ourselves the question: why does the State continue to finance private schools? It also raises these questions,” says M.me Magnan.
Among parents too, we talk about the difference between private and public networks, but also between the most and least well-off.
“It seems there are no more tutors on the market. Not all parents can afford to pay for this. We are in the process of exacerbating inequity and it is very difficult to make up for it,” said Sylvain Martel, spokesperson for the Regroupement des committees de parents nationaux du Québec.
Marie-Odile Magnan also says she is worried. “It concerns me how long this will last. Will secondary school students subsequently be motivated to return to school? “, said the professor.
At the Federation of Private Educational Establishments (FEEP), we did not wish to comment on this question “out of respect” for the staff of public schools.
“Let us hope that all this is resolved quickly in an optimal way for everyone,” Geneviève Beauvais, director of communications and public affairs at the FEEP, wrote to us.