WATCH: Willingdon School in NDG joined in province-wide protests against cuts to Quebec’s education system on Thursday.
MONTREAL — As part of the Willingdon Hands Around our School Protest, parents, students and staff at Willingdon School in NDG formed a human chain around their school Thursday morning.
“Hey, hey, ho, ho, we’re holding it together, hey, hey, ho, ho, on est tous ensemble,” was the rallying cry, as dozens held hands in solidarity.
The protest was organized to show support to public schools considered under threat by the proposed budget cuts proposed by the Quebec government.
READ MORE: Quebec Liberals looking to cut billions in spending
“Here in Quebec, we’re supposed to be following a social constructivist program … this means problem-solving together as groups,” Kathleen Usher, Science Specialist at Willingdon School, told Global News.
“Imagine one teacher in a classroom with 30, 32 students in grade two, grade three, grade four,” she said. “We’re already seeing this today with maximum class size limits, and so it’s really hard to imagine how grave this change would be.”
“It will just take the joy and the fun out of school and I think that’s a tragedy.”
“We really do need to work together, and today’s protest was to show that this isn’t just about the teachers, it’s about the students, the parents, the community.”
READ MORE: Montreal teachers take to the streets over education cuts
On May 1, schools across Montreal held a similar demonstration called “Je protège mon école publique” (Protect your public school), to denounce Quebec’s cuts in education.
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