Quebec student ombudsman takes office

A new mechanism for handling complaints and reports in the school environment comes into effect this Monday in Quebec with the arrival in office of the National Student Ombudsman.

A lawyer, Jean-François Bernier, is in charge of this new function, which is autonomous and external to the school network. Bernier is a former vice-protecteur du citoyen and also chaired the Commission québécoise des libérations conditionnelles.

“We have to settle a new process all over Quebec for schools…it’s about 1.3 million students that are going to be allowed to file complaints, or their parents, about school services that are given or not given in their schools,” said Bernier.

The National Student Ombudsman oversees a team of regional Student Ombudsmen whose mandate is to ensure that the rights of students and their parents are respected.

“We intervene at the third step. There are two steps before us. The first step is the level of the school the second one at the level of the school board,” said Bernier.

The National Student Ombudsman’s mandate covers preschool, elementary and secondary education, as well as home schooling, vocational training and adult education.

Bernier was appointed National Student Ombudsman in June 2022, by the Quebec government. He was given one year to lay the conceptual and administrative foundations of the new institution, to hire staff dedicated primarily to supporting the regional protectors, and to develop an IT system for optimal processing of complaints and reports.

Melanie Lemay, co-founder of Cofondatrice de Québec contre les violences sexuelles, says that the National Student Ombudsman is not the solution to handling issues related to the sexual abuse of students.

“If we wanted to end gender based violence in school, this isn’t the greatest mean,” said Lemay.

Lemay says the focus should be on prevention– adding resources to train staff and giving children the knowledge they need to recognize sexual violence.

“We need to do more to create a culture which children are safe and have the means and tools to go forward and be heard,” said Lemay.

READ:

• Quebec to conduct investigation into sexual misconduct in schools
• Montreal elementary school teacher pleads guilty to sex crimes involving 5 girls

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Aug. 28, 2023.