Federation of CEGEPs asking Quebec to allow shorter semester due to strikes
Posted December 1, 2023 1:19 pm.
The additional week of strike announced by the common front inter-union of public workers is causing some uncertainty for CEGEPs.
The Federation of CEGEPs is asking Quebec’s Ministry of Higher Education (MES) to show some flexibility to allow CEGEPs to rearrange their fall semester, writes Bernard Tremblay, President and CEO of the Fédération des cégeps, in a letter sent to the MES and Minister Pascale Déry, obtained by Radio-Canada.
He would like the government to authorize a semester of less than 82 days under a measure provided for in the Règlement sur le régime des études collégiales (RREC) in exceptional circumstances.
This would be a rare scenario, which was last applied during the 2012 student strike.
While each CEGEP may rearrange the resumption of course days cancelled due to the strike, only the Minister of Higher Education can agree to a shorter session.
The Federation of CEGEPs points out that the social climate is particularly tense in CEGEPS this fall – with some students holding strikes in recent months, as well as the strike by members of the common front.
Adding that it’s now almost impossible to meet the imposed timetable without going beyond the holiday season.
The resumption of courses or exams in January 2024 must be avoided, in Tremblay’s opinion, to prevent negative impacts on certain students, including those who have to start a university session in the winter.
