QUEBEC CITY -- Discussions at Quebec's summit on educational success will not be public.
The minister of education announced that the event scheduled for March 31 and April 1 will be held behind closed doors.
Jean-Francois Roberge said he decided to hold the meeting behind closed doors after groups expressed their discomfort.
"There are many academics, groups that are sometimes very familiar with this type of forum, others a little less so," he said in response to a question from Liberal education critic Marwah Rizqy.
"They told us that they would feel more confident, free to put forward their ideas, to table their proposals if it was a consultation between only those invited," he said.
Roberge answered Rizqy during the study of supplementary appropriations, an accountability exercise held on Tuesday evening in the National Assembly.
Rizqy was surprised by the minister's decision.
"I like it when we discuss, but I like it when we discuss in a transparent way," she said. "The objective is that we all talk together."
Rizqy proposed the summit on educational success to prepare for the end of the health crisis in the education network, and Roberge chose to follow up.
MNA from Saint-Laurent is particularly concerned about students' failure rates.
At the last report card, a quarter of Secondary 3 and 4 students had failed mathematics.
The event, which will take place virtually, has been named "Rendezvous for Educational Success: Education Beyond the Pandemic."
Three main themes will be discussed: educational success and remedial education, psychological assessment and guidance, and mental health and well-being in schools.
Quebec has promised that the discussions will lead to the announcement of concrete measures this spring.
The objective is to allow the school network to quickly prepare to meet challenges as of the summer of 2021 and during the 2021-2022 school year.
The summit should in principle provide the network with a common vision to ensure the perseverance and success of the greatest number of students.
The workbook is available on the "Rendezvous for Educational Success: Education Beyond the Pandemic" website.
-- this report by The Canadian Press was first published March 24, 2021.
