'Deeply troubling': English parents group says it was left out of hearings on Quebec education bill
A parents' group representing students in English-language school boards said it is "deeply troubling" that it was not invited to participate in public hearings on a bill that would overhaul Quebec's education system.
Tabled in early May, the Act to amend mainly the Education Act and to enact the Act respecting the Institut national d’excellence en education, also known as Bill 23, would give the provincial government more control over school boards.
Included in the bill are provisions that would, among other things, allow the education minister to appoint and dismiss the heads of school service centres and override decisions that don't align with specific objectives. The Ministry of Education confirmed that the bill would apply to both French school service centres and the province's nine English school boards.
The English Parents’ Committee Association (EPCA) said in a news release Tuesday that it was "excluded" from the committee hearings, which are scheduled to start Thursday in Quebec City.
Their name does not appear on the hearing schedule posted on the National Assembly website. Two groups representing francophone parents — the Fédération des comités de parents du Québec and the Regroupement des comités de parents autonomes du Québec — appear on the list of speakers invited to speak about the bill.
No English parents groups appear on the list. The only group that represents the anglophone community is the Quebec English School Boards Association.
"All of the associations representing the French parent committees have been invited to participate, but EPCA has been excluded, despite having directly requested to participate," the release said.
The group said it represents the majority of the English parent committees in the province, who will be impacted by the proposed legislation.
EPCA President Katherine Korakakis said the decision sends the message that the government "doesn't want to hear what we have to say."
"If you look at the groups that are there, there's only one anglophone group that's been invited to speak on something that's very impactful to our community," Korakakis said in an interview Tuesday.
She said she inquired with the Ministry of Education as to why the group wasn't invited but said she did not understand the ministry's response.
When asked why the EPCA wasn't invited, a spokesperson for Education Minister Bernard Drainville said in an email to CTV News that the list of groups scheduled to speak on Bill 23 was "the subject of discussions and agreement of all the political parties."
"Many groups will be heard in parliamentary committee, while others will not," the email said, adding that "groups that are not in committee can still send in their briefs to make their points and have them analyzed."
'IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE A VOICE'
Korakakis said the English-speaking community has a different governance system and should have a place at the table.
"It's important for us to have a voice to be able to just lend our voice to this very troublesome bill. Once again, this is something where the English-speaking community is feeling attacked," she said.
The sole English group invited to speak, the QESBA, has said it is considering taking the government to court over Bill 23 — legislation it believes is unconstitutional and infringes the rights of the English-speaking community in managing its own school system.
"As is, if the national assembly were to adopt [Bill 23] in present form, the QESBA would immediately undertake a constitutional challenge to the bill," said Russell Copeman, executive director of QESBA, earlier this month.
Copeman has urged the government to amend the bill before it becomes law.
After introducing Bill 23, Minister Drainville said he believes the legislation "respects the rights" of Quebec's anglophones.
"I'm extremely aware of the fact that this is something that is very, very important to the English-speaking community," Drainville told CTV News, noting that the candidates he recommends as executive director will be from the English-speaking community.
With files from CTV News Montreal's Angela Mackenzie and Lilly Roy
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.