It's the first day of school for many CEGEPs in Quebec and students starting classes now are the first high school graduates to have studied exclusively under the education reform introduced in 2000.

The reform, which controversially centred on shifting from theory to problem solving as a group, has prompted calls from both students and teachers to adjust math and French courses to help ease their transition.

In addition, the reform's report card made it more difficult for CEGEP teachers to assess what students know, which means teachers will be forced to spend more time reviewing high school material, and less time teaching new concepts, said science professor Stephen Newbigging.

"You start chopping off bits: You have things to interconnect, you have less ways to show the richness of the subject, you have variety in the problems," said Newbigging. "It's an impoverishment."

While teachers say those most likely to struggle are weaker science students, Leo Bureau-Blouin from the Quebec Federation of CEGEP Students said the reform will benefit others.

"The students are going to be even better in some programs, such as humanities," said Bureau-Blouin.

At Vanier College, students are encouraged to take advantage of support programs if they're facing difficulties.

"Any change in the background of the students, and in the type of students we get, is likely to bring some challenges," said Gilbert Heroux, Vanier's director general.

While some students may face challenges, computer sciences student Kevin Beliveau said the new crop of CEGEP scholars shouldn't be underestimated.

"It's a process we have gone over again and again and again, because of the reform, so it's nothing to worry about," he said.

Classroom overcrowding

Classroom overcrowding is also presenting a challenge in CEGEPs.

Like last year, many schools have been unable to find room for everyone, despite extra funding from the government.

Quebec gave about $1,100,000 to Vanier, Dawson, and CEGEP St. Laurent to renovate buildings and add portable classrooms to increase capacity, but despite the extra room at least 400 students were turned away from English CEGEPs.

The spike in enrollments began in 2009, when 8,000 people applied for 3,500 spots at Dawson College. The same year a record 5,900 students enrolled at John Abbott College.

The bump in class sizes is expected to continue through the 2011-2012 academic year.