Quebec imposes measures to address 'toxic climate' at Montreal school

Minister of Education Bernard Drainville appointed monitors to address a 'toxic climate' at Bedford school. (Jacques Boissinot, The Canadian Press)

Quebec's Education Department appointed two monitors at Bedford school in Montreal's Côte-des-Neiges district to address a "toxic climate" of fear and intimidation at the primary school.

The new monitors started working Tuesday and will have to report back to the education department by Nov. 30.

The province's measures follow a report made public last week concluding that a "dominant clan" of teachers imposed a stringent, autocratic rule over students and intimidated and ostracized anyone who opposed them.

The government's report said children were subjected to physical and psychological violence and that teachers refused to teach or paid little attention to subjects such as oral communication, science, religion and sex education. It also said teachers refused to allow children with special needs to get help from specialized professionals as learning difficulties and autism didn't exist for some teachers.

"The evidence gathered tends to show that some teachers at Bedford school would benefit from developing their knowledge and understanding of learning disabilities and neurodevelopmental disorders," the report said, noting that some teachers believed excessive discipline and control would work and denied kids additional help to which they were entitled.

"They act with the idea of ​​'breaking' the student and getting them back on the right path."

The government's investigation was triggered by a series of radio reports by Montreal 98.5 FM beginning in May 2023 about a toxic climate at the school. Education department employees conducted more than 102 hours of interviews with 73 people and attended a governing board meeting between November 2023 and last April.

The testimonies provided a portrait of the situation spanning about seven or eight years and revealed that a quick succession of school directors came and went during that period. The vast majority of students at the school were allophone, and only about 20 per cent spoke French at home.

The report described the group of problematic teachers as being of North African descent, some of whom attended a local mosque together. It says a representative of the mosque once met with the school's administration, explaining "the importance of having good relations with the Muslims of the neighbourhood and of the school." Witnesses told the government investigators that the local Muslim community carried a "strong influence" on several of the school's staff members.

However, the report mentioned that there were staff members of North African descent who opposed the way the "dominant clan" was acting. 

An investigation will determine whether 11 teachers allegedly engaging in concerning behaviour committed severe misconduct and whether or not their teaching certificates should be suspended or revoked.

Education Minister Bernard Drainville ordered audits at three other schools — two elementary schools and a high school — under the governance of the same service centre as Bedford, allegedly with similar problems.

"School exists for our students," Drainville said last week. "Their interests and needs must come first at all times and in all schools in Quebec."

The school service centre — Centre de services scolaire de Montréal — said it was committed to maintaining a safe and healthy environment at the school and welcomed the other audits announced by the education department.

"This investigation highlights unacceptable educational practices that have been in place over the years and the importance of reporting inappropriate situations without delay," the service centre said in a statement.

Union calls report 'damning'

The union representing the school's teachers — Alliance des professeures et des professeurs de Montréal — said it was not aware of all the details outlined in the report.

"We have the duty, we have the responsibility, even, the legal framework, which requires us to represent each of our members," said union president Catherine Beauvais-St-Pierre. "On the other hand, 'defend' is another word, we are not going to defend the indefensible."  

The Alliance des professeures et professeurs de Montréal represents Bedford School teachers as a union. The Alliance is affiliated with the Fédération autonome de l'enseignement (FAE), which said it "does not condone" what happened at Bedford.

"The report, it's damning," FAE President Mélanie Hubert told The Canadian Press on Tuesday.

"It's hard to imagine that in 2024, in our public schools, situations like this could go on for so long," she said.

Hubert also lamented that the principle of professional autonomy was invoked by certain teachers at this school who refused, for example, to discuss pedagogy and their teaching methods.

"Professional autonomy is not about being able to do what you want when you want, and not having to answer to anyone. On the contrary, professional autonomy is exercised while respecting our legal frameworks," said Hubert.

The president recalls that her federation demanded that students with learning or adjustment difficulties get help from qualified professionals, such as speech therapists.

Quebec Liberal Party MNA Marwah Rizqy took to social media Tuesday putting Isabelle Gelinas, the head of the school service centre, on blast, saying she willfully turned a blind eye to what was going on before Rizqy confronted her. 

Rizqy said she was the one who pushed for an investigation into the school's climate.

With files from The Canadian Press