Bernard Drainville called on school service centre directors to “speak up” about their decisions.
Author of the article:
It is time to change the culture of school service centres in order to make them more accountable, Quebec Education Minister Bernard Drainville said Tuesday as he presented new legislation on school governance.
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
Don’t have an account? Create Account
Drainville made the remark as he faced a flurry of questions from opposition MNAs during the study of budget credits for his ministry.
Sign up to receive daily headline news from the Montreal Gazette, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.
A welcome email is on its way. If you don’t see it, please check your junk folder.
The next issue of Montreal Gazette Headline News will soon be in your inbox.
We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again
Apparently exasperated by pointed questions from Quebec Liberal education critic Marwah Rizqy on the issue of school fees charged to parents, Drainville called upon school service centre directors to “speak up.”
Rizqy had cited the example of a parent who was surprised to be charged more than $1,000 a year for school transportation and access to food services. She described the charges as “fee shock” for families already dealing with galloping inflation.
Drainville replied that parents dissatisfied with what they were being billed for could address their school service centre and seek a revision of the fee structure. He said that one should assign responsibility to the proper decision maker.
“It’s as if as soon as there’s a problem somewhere in a school … in Quebec, it always has to be the minister who ultimately has to answer for everything, all the time, for everything that’s happening. We’re going to have to change that culture,” he said.
Parti Québécois MNA Pascal Bérubé reminded the committee that the province’s school service centres were “a creation of the CAQ.”
In February 2020, the Legault government invoked closure to pass Bill 40, which replaced existing French-language school boards with service centres.
Since then, Bérubé noted, Drainville is “very critical of his own creation.”
The PQ MNA added: “What did we gain?”
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.
The minister’s disparaging remarks about teachers are bad enough. The CAQ government’s latest proposed reform is even worse.
All establishments governed by the Education Act must ensure “that no place is used, in fact or in appearance, for the purpose of religious practices such as open prayers or other similar practices.”
Despite the directive’s careful wording, it’s clear who’s being targeted — again. And frankly, we’re sick of it.
365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4
© 2023 Montreal Gazette, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved. Unauthorized distribution, transmission or republication strictly prohibited.
This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.