The recent events at Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac primary school shook the whole of Quebec.
Everything must now be done to ensure that the students in this class receive adequate services to heal their wounds. Let’s make sure that the person who takes over this class will be benevolent and that there will not be a parade of substitutes by June. The school aspect must be relegated to the background, because the absolute priority for these children is to give them a taste for going to school and learning.
Many were indignant that no one else in the school had denounced this situation. We now learn that several reports have been made concerning this teacher. It is not only individuals who have failed in their task, but also the system.
Parents and teachers sometimes no longer know who to turn to (school principal, CSS student ombudsman, national student ombudsman, 1 833 Je-denonce, DPJ) when such situations arise.
File a complaint
It is currently impossible for a teacher to formally file a complaint against a colleague when this type of event occurs. The only whistleblowing mechanism available at this time for teachers is to report to an immediate superior.
How can we explain that in 2023, with all the technological means at our disposal, it is impossible for parents to know the disciplinary history of the person who teaches their children on a daily basis?
How can we justify that a disciplinary measure given to a teacher is completely erased from his file after a predetermined period, leaving parents in the most total ignorance? I am in no way against the principle of rehabilitating a faulty teacher, but I find it hard to understand this lack of transparency.
A very simple solution has been on the table for several decades: a professional order. This is also another flagship promise of the CAQ abandoned along the way.
Transparency
With an order, parents could access relevant information about their children’s teachers (qualifications, fields of expertise, disciplinary history, etc.). Visiting the site for just a few minutes will show you how easy it is to use. You can file a complaint or find information about a teacher in a few clicks.
The trade union movement will fiercely oppose it as always and the government will refuse to budge so as not to have to confront this powerful lobby. We will pretend to the witch hunt. It will be argued that there are enough safeguards in place right now. Recent events clearly show us the shortcomings of these mechanisms. Protecting teachers is necessary, but so is protecting the public.
Will an order settle all cases of abuse in our schools? No
Will an order magically resolve the teacher shortage? No
The order will not be a magic bullet for all the ills of our education system.
Can we still demand that this noble profession demonstrate a greater capacity for self-regulation and greater transparency to the public? I am convinced that it is, but it must come from the will of the teaching body as a whole.
We must now move from words to action. Even if the government and the unions refuse to move on this issue, nothing prevents teachers from taking their profession in hand.
Let’s give Quebec youth back the quality education to which they are entitled. Our future is at stake.
Simon Landry, Metropolitan area teacher