More questions are surfacing over the CAQ's plan to offer pre-kindergarten to all four-year-olds in the province.
School boards that are already dealing with overcapacity are especially concerned and wondering where the space will come from.
“Certainly in the west end, there is no space. We're pretty clear on that. We're bursting at the seams,” said EMSB spokesperson Mike Cohen.
Schools like Edinburgh and Royal Vale see parents camping out for days to ensure their children get a spot in kindergarten.
The EMSB isn't alone; French boards in the Montreal area are also over capacity.
Free pre-k for all Quebec youngsters was one of Premier Francois Legault's key campaign promises – he even vowed to resign if he failed to deliver.
Critics say that's why the CAQ seems to be rushing through new legislation.
“They're ramming it though because they said they would do it. Is it more serving an idea or serving children? We're asking the question,” said Marie-Claude Lemieux, director of public affairs for the Quebec Association of Public Daycares.
The association is calling for broad public consultations, arguing it would be easier to create more CPEs than to find the space in schools.
With class sizes in pre-k nearly double that of public daycares, the association is concerned children won't get the attention they need.
“We're asking the government to consider the expertise that CPEs have developed in detecting learning troubles or difficulties, in accompanying families of children with special needs to get the services they need,” she said.
The CAQ plans to roll out pre-k over the next five years at an annual cost of $400-$700 million.
Across the province, there are currently 400 full-time pre-k classes, with about a dozen in EMSB schools.
They're working well, the board said, but doesn’t see how it could be possible for every school.
“Are we going to start building extensions? Are they going to provide the dollars for our schools to extend their buildings? We'd certainly welcome that,” said Cohen.
The board hopes its questions will be answered soon because it will have to begin preparing immediately for the next school year.
