Quebec education budget cuts: coalition pushes back

A coalition of parents’ committees, school principals, school management staff and education unions is calling on the Legault government to back track on its announced budget cuts.

The government is ordering school officials to reduce their spending by $570 million.

Although Education Minister Bernard Drainville has asked that cuts impacting direct services to students be limited, these groups maintain it will be impossible given the scale of the cuts requested.

“A seven-year-old with reading difficulties must receive services now. It’s not in three years, when public finances will be better, that we can provide them with assistance, it’s now,” pleaded Richard Bergevin, president of the CSQ-affiliated Fédération des syndicats de l’enseignement (FSE), in an interview on Thursday.

“What is currently happening in education is unacceptable, and that’s why the various players are mobilizing. Positions are being cut, as are measures essential to student learning and well-being. The network must be supported in line with Quebecers’ ambitions. It’s our future that’s at stake,” said Nicolas Prévost, President of the Fédération québécoise des directions d’établissement d’enseignement.

“Budget cuts always result in real losses. We experienced this a few years ago, and this government had itself recognized and denounced it. More children will be deprived of services, support and stability, and parents will lose trust in the school’s ability to meet their children’s needs,” lamented Sylvain Martel, spokesperson for the Regroupement des comités de parents autonomes du Québec (RCPAQ).

Drainville responds

In response, Minister Drainville defended himself from imposing budget cuts. “Since the arrival of the CAQ in 2018, the Education budget has increased by 58 per cent. Record investments! To those who cry cuts, look at the numbers. Never has a government invested so much, so fast, in our schools.”

“Between 2018 and 2024, the number of students in the network increased by eight per cent, but there are now 20 per cent more teachers, 11 per cent more professionals and 21 per cent more support staff. This is a major step forward, one that rhymes with more support and services for students, such as tutoring or classroom aids,” added Drainville.

“Today, we must respect Quebecers’ wallets and make responsible choices,” he asserted.

“The government is therefore asking the education network to respect this historic budget of $23.5 billion. That’s what Quebecers expect of us,” added the Minister.

Appeal to the public

Up until now, voices have been raised separately against budget cuts, but this time the groups concerned have formed a coalition, a movement dubbed “Ensemble, unis pour l’école” (Together, united for school).

Bergevin, whose federation represents the majority of elementary and secondary school teachers in Quebec, wants the public to get on board.

“It’s important that the public, but also school principals, teachers, support staff, professionals, all these people, and the public, get together to tell the government: there’s still time to change your mind, there’s still time to put money back into the system, even if it’s already getting late for school organizations,” says Bergevin.

The Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ), which represents 125,000 members in the education sector, is also a member, as is the Regroupement des comités de parents autonomes du Québec.

In the same vein, the petition on the National Assembly website, calling for the budget cuts to be revised, had received over 62,000 signatures by 3 p.m. on Thursday.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews