Quebec politicians disconnected from reality of school life, teachers say ahead of strike

Quebec teachers feel the province’s politicians are disconnected from the realities of the classroom, as educators prepare to go on strike this week.

A multitude of schools will be closed across the province Tuesday to Thursday as teachers, support staff, educators, daycare employees and cafeteria workers hit the picket lines.

And roughly 65,000 teachers from the Fédération autonome de l’enseignement (FAE) are expected to launch an unlimited general strike Thursday, meaning those classes would be suspended indefinitely.

“I, like every teacher in Quebec, are feeling deeply insulted and deeply concerned that our government seems to be in the process of abandoning public education,” Robert Green, a teacher at Westmount High School, told CityNews.

Last week the province’s education minister, Bernard Drainville, said he wants students to continue learning during the strike and not treat it as a vacation.

“I hope that school principals, school service centres and teachers will actually give the children the materials they need,” he said.

Quebec teachers say Drainville and the CAQ government are out of touch with the situation.

“It makes me wonder on what planet this minister is living,” Green said. “The whole point of a strike is that we are doing this to create pressure on the government. So no, we’re not going to go and take on extra work ourselves to give extra work to students so that there will be less of a disruption. The point of a strike is a disruption.”

“I think (Drainville) needs to go back and have a look at what strike really means, because we’re not working,” added Steven Le Sueur, president of the Quebec Provincial Association of Teachers. “And we’re not preparing stuff beforehand. It is a vacation for the kids, unless the parents have stuff ready for them for those three days.”

Drainville added he was not ruling out the possibility of extending the school calendar to make up for the missed school days.

“I don’t think that any of the politicians would last a day in the classroom. They wouldn’t last a day. They have no idea what it’s like to be here.”

–Cheryl Villeneuve, a teacher at the Lester B. Pearson School Board (LBPSB)

The LBPSB, the English Montreal School Board (EMSB) and many more have confirmed their schools will be closed Tuesday to Thursday.

“We’re going to do what we have to do,” said Le Sueur. “So next week is three days and there will be demonstrations – some in front of our schools at strategic points, and some as a big group, regional unions all getting together. So that’s the plan for next week.”

The Quebec government recently offered a salary increase of 10.3 per cent over five years including a one-time payment of $1,000. But many say that’s not enough to keep up with inflation.

“It should be at the very least with cost of living, cover cost of living, it’s like 17 per cent,” said Le Sueur. “And that’s not really raised, that’s just covering cost of living.”

Some teachers say they are having to pay out of pocket for supplies and work on their days off. But with their current salary, even making ends meet is a challenge.

“I tutor three days a week just to pay my bills and I am not a homeowner,” said Villeneuve. “So I do not own a home. And if I do not tutor three days a week, I’m not able to pay my bills. And this is something prior to strikes. This is something that I’ve been doing for five years. This is my 20th year teaching. And in the last five years, because of inflation, I am not able to pay my bills. And now with the strike, I’m going to double up on my tutoring.”

“I had report cards due last Monday, and that meant that I spent the last two weekends working,” added Green. “And did I receive any pay for that work? No, but I did it for the good of our students.”