Quebec education budget cuts: complaint filed with Ombudsman
Posted June 30, 2025 9:53 am.
Last Updated June 30, 2025 10:05 am.
Two federations affiliated with the Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ) are filing a complaint with the Quebec Ombudsman against education budget cuts.
In their complaint filed Monday, the Fédération du personnel de soutien scolaire and the Fédération du personnel professionnel de l’éducation are asking the Quebec Ombudsman to open an investigation into the impact of budget cuts and the hiring freeze on student services.
They are also asking the Quebec Ombudsman to intervene publicly with the Ministry of Education and make recommendations to ensure students have access to the services they need.
The investigation and publication of a report could, however, take some time.
“We know it’s going to be long. But we had to file this complaint as organizations to apply additional pressure, because nothing is happening,” said Éric Pronovost, President of the Fédération du personnel de soutien scolaire, in an interview Monday.
He makes no secret of the fact that he hopes the joint complaint will have a deterrent effect.
“What we’re hoping for in all this is that Minister Drainville will think differently and back down on his budget cuts.”
Quebec has announced $570 million in budget cuts for the start of the school year. But Pronovost points out that these are in addition to the hiring freeze imposed since Nov. 1 and cuts to infrastructure projects.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
