Quebec Premier Legault wants the CAQ to table a plan to bring good citizenship back to schools

CAQ youth commision president Aurelie Diep delivers an address at the annual youth congress in St. Hyacinthe, Que. (Samuel Boulianne)

François Legault has instructed Education Minister Bernard Drainville to table a plan for "more respect, more civic-mindedness and more discipline in our schools."

The Quebec premier made the announcement at the annual Youth commision (CRCAQ) convention in Saint-Hyacinthe, Montérégie, on Saturday afternoon.

The young members of the party were discussing the theme "The School We Love."

Shortly before Legault's speech, the CRCAQ adopted a resolution proposing to bring back a "culture of civic-mindedness" to schools.

In particular, the commission is proposing to make the use of the polite form of address the norm in schools from kindergarten onwards.

Previously, the CAQ youth wanted to standardize the use of "vouvoiement" from Grade 5 onwards, before a resolution from Lotbinière-Frontenac member Camille Jean was adopted at the convention on Saturday afternoon, calling for this to be introduced from kindergarten onwards.

They are also proposing that uniforms be made compulsory in secondary schools and that students guilty of violence and bullying and their parents be obliged to attend training courses to change their behaviour.

"I think it's a damn good idea," said the premier, referring to the latter proposal.

Legault said that lack of respect for teachers was "a societal problem (...) found in all industrialised societies."

He added that this problem also affected police officers and elected representatives.

During his speech, Legault showed his support for CRCAQ president Aurélie Diep on several occasions.

In a pre-recorded video broadcast on Saturday morning, Drainville praised the young people's involvement, but did not commit to supporting their proposals.

"You're going to stir up some ideas," he said. "Some of them are going to cause a reaction. I think you know that. I don't have a problem with that. I want you to know that we are prepared to take questions."

He made it clear that he would not necessarily "agree" with the resolutions adopted.

A decline in civic-mindedness

In a speech delivered on Saturday morning, Diep denounced the violence that takes place in schools towards other students and teachers. According to her, this is an indicator of a decline in good citizenship in schools.

"As long as we don't solve this problem, it's clear that some teachers will continue to leave," said Diep, who is herself studying to become a teacher. "Schools are not a collection of individuals who do what they want. It is a community (...) where all pupils owe respect and where everyone contributes to a climate that makes people want to learn."

In her speech, she also praised Quebec's "three-tier" school system, which she sees as beneficial: "It annoys me a little when I hear politicians denounce the three-tier school system, as if it were desirable or possible to impose the same speed on all students."

In her opinion, the mix of public schools, public schools and specific programs has given rise to the school system's "greatest successes."

"When I see that, I say to myself that we need a school with 10, 15 or even 100 speeds," she added, adding in passing that Drainville shares this vision.

Then, during his speech, Legault said he was "happy" with the president's comments, throwing arrows at Quebec Solidaire and the Parti Québécois who would only like "one kind of school."

The CAQ youth also want to allow students to complete their secondary education in four, five or six years, and are proposing to develop recreational extracurricular sport in schools.

The CAQ's new generation convention came at the end of an eventful week for the party. The CAQ had to deal with the resignation of super-minister Pierre Fitzgibbon a few days before the start of the new parliamentary term. He was replaced by Christine Fréchette. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Sept. 7, 2024.