It was an exciting moment for many — but especially for students like Harry Cherr.
The 21-year-old, who is neurodiverse, is enrolled in his first year in the new Irénée-Lussier high school, a French public school in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve.
“It’s very beautiful, very big, very nice,” Cherr’s brother Henry said. “I’m very glad to be here and I’m very happy for my little brother, Harry.”
The school was an idea 15 years in the making, dreamt up by a parent whose neurodiverse child went to the high school over a decade ago, when the classrooms were too small and the school wasn’t well adapted to children’s needs.
“All we want and all we need for our children is to be able to learn and to be part of society,” said Vânia Aguiar, who is also the president of Fondation Les Petits Roi.
The new school has around 230 students enrolled from ages 12 to 21.
The building has wide corridors and a lot of windows for natural light.
All of the classrooms have anchors for swings and are also all equipped with kitchenettes.
There is a quiet room, a workout room, a sensory room, work areas to help promote integration into the workforce and a place called “Apartments,” where students can learn basic life skills.
“They’re going to start to learn how to take care of their home,” Aguiar said. “How to make their beds and cook.”
At the school’s official inauguration on Tuesday, Quebec Premier François Legault toured the grounds, alongside Education Minister Bernard Drainville, meeting students, parents and staff.
The provincial government invested $77 million into the project.
“Education has to be the top priority in Quebec and especially for these children,” Legault said. “We have to make sure they have all the tools to meet their full potential.”
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