Quebec education: $670M in cuts and 99 projects on hold, admits Drainville

Quebec’s education network has suffered $670 million in cuts this year, and 99 projects to add space have been put on hold, admitted Bernard Drainville during a study of his ministry’s appropriations on Wednesday.

The Minister of Education was being questioned by Liberal MP Madwa-Nika Cadet and Québec solidaire Sol Zanetti. He justified the cuts, which he said represent 1 per cent of the education budget, by saying that “everyone has to make an effort.”

Last summer, $400 million was cut from the budget for asset maintenance. This was what the school service centres (SSCs) had planned to spend, so the money had not yet been committed, explained Drainville.

Then, in December, an additional effort of $200 million was requested from the network, and a further $70 million was included in the catch-up plan for students.

This $70 million figure was not pulled out of a hat, according to the minister, who pointed out that the SSCs told him in September that they intended to spend only $150 million of the $220 million available for catching up.

In is own defense, Drainville spoke of “consolidation” this year: “We think that it is reasonable, that it is good management,” he said.

He acknowledged that 99 projects to add space had had to be put on hold, but pointed out that all requests for modular classrooms had been accepted.

Zanetti said that he had a great deal of “empathy” for the Minister and his team, who are having to make “difficult choices” as Quebec’s deficit rises to nearly $14 billion by 2025-2026.

At the same time, he accused the Legault government of showing “favouritism” in prioritizing projects.

According to Québec solidaire, the government has invested $4,189 per child in Caquist ridings, $2,799 in Liberal ridings, $1,889 in Solidaire ridings and only $1,045 in Parti Québécois ridings.

“I firmly reject the allegations that infrastructure projects are determined by partisan criteria,” said Drainville, describing Zanetti’s allegations as “very serious.”

He pointed out that education projects were judged on the basis of five criteria: the need for space, changes in enrolment, the proportion of growth, property development and the location required to accommodate pupils.

None of the 99 projects that were put on ice were actually under way; rather, they were at the planning stage, said Carole Arav, Deputy Minister of Education.

“That’s where we drew the line,” she said.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews