An event aimed at celebrating Quebec's education for the start of Public School Week turned political Sunday as some educators applauded the CAQ government for its investment in education, while opponents criticized some of the CAQ government's policies.
A year after the CAQ was elected, the government is expected to table another controversial bill Tuesday putting school boards on the chopping block and replacing them with centralized service centres.
FAE (Federation autonome de l'enseignement) union president Sylvain Mallette applauded the CAQ's commitment to reinvest in education, but also noted that the government is simply reimbursing schools after years of cutbacks.
CAQ Education Minister Jean-Francois Roberge sent a video message to the event encouraging public educators, while Liberal critic Marwah Rizqy said between the controversial religious symbols ban (Bill 21), and the intention to abolish school boards (expected Tuesday), the CAQ is ignoring other problems.
"I don't think we have time to waste for another battle," said Rizqy. "I think we should put all the effort to find teachers, all the effort to build classes, all the effort to have the best schools in Quebec because right now we have kids that are really packed in one class and we have no minister to fight for them because he's too busy fighting other fights that are not necessary in Quebec right now."
While the promise to invest millions in renovations and repairs for dilapidated school facilities was welcomed by most, Parti Quebecois critic Veronique Hivon is unimpressed that the bulk of the budget is consumed by a single project.
"We are really worried, for example, that all the eggs of education seem to be put in one basket of a four-year-old kindergarten when the needs in the public school system is there for classes, is there to have more teachers," she said.
Public School Week starts Monday, and the opposition parties and Quebec's largest teaching union hope to refocus government priorities on understaffed, over-packed classrooms.
