Minister Bernard Drainville’s seven priorities, overdiagnosis of ADHD, failures in the ministerial French test in secondary 5… The education system made the headlines this week. Here is a summary of our coverage.
ADHD: “class babies” misdiagnosed
Journalist Katia Gagnon publishes the rest of her dossier on the study which shows that “class babies” – the youngest children in their group – run a greater risk of inheriting an ADHD diagnosis. His articles have made many readers react. The vast majority of them, whether they are parents, teachers or specialists, deplore the “diagnostic pressure” exerted in the school network. And in some cases, their stories are disturbing.
The Seven Labors of the Minister of Education
Education Minister Bernard Drainville presented the seven priorities that will be put forward during his mandate. “A fast track to the teaching certificate”, teaching French, school renovation and schools with special programs, to name a few.
Dégringolade in written French
The results of the secondary 5 French ministerial test are down in several school service centres. In some school service centers, nearly half of the young people have failed, show the figures obtained by The Press.
No 6e year for children in difficulty
Primary must be completed in six years. However, for students who have repeated a year, their primary education often ends in the 5th year and it is in a special education class for students in difficulty that they will meet to start their secondary school. Very variable practices depending on where you are in Quebec. A situation that surprised the Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville. “I was very surprised by this story. We are doing research, first to see if it happens often, then how we are going to manage it, ”he said.
Columns and editorials
“The school system overseen by the Ministry of Education excels in two disciplines: one, disguising the stats to hide its systemic failures and two, lowering the bar to award diplomas to as many teenagers as possible, even if it means graduating functional illiterates. This is what columnist Patrick Lagacé told us in his column Our mediocre schools published on January 25.
The editorialist Nathalie Collard returned to the results of the ministerial French test. “The French exam has its raison d’être: it is a benchmark that allows us to take stock and compare ourselves. But let’s be honest: in its current form, it misleads us. »
Editorialist Vincent Brousseau-Pouliot addressed the issue of the encrypted bulletin. “In elementary school, where children’s confidence is more fragile, it would be particularly appropriate to return to the report card by letter. It seems less essential to us in high school, but let’s wait to see what the experts have to say,” he says.
Finally, columnist Paul Journet talks about Minister Drainville’s announcement of priorities. “Mr. Drainville does not want to be the great reformer. He stays away from the project to launch a Parent 2.0 commission. But when he details his menu, we will realize that he has his hands full. And you’ll understand why he didn’t open his game in January before he was able to respond to every criticism. »