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No more school board elections, says Blais

WATCH: Quebec’s education minister Francois Blais confirms his government’s plans to abolish school board elections.

MONTREAL – Quebec’s Education Minister François Blais confirmed his plan Friday to abolish school board elections in Quebec.

Blais insisted school board elections are a costly, useless affairs that don’t help students succeed.

READ MORE: English school boards ‘reservedly hopeful’ after meeting education minister

Quebec’s Federation of School Boards has already spoken out against the move, calling it anti-democratic.

READ MORE: An end to school board elections? QFHSA hopes not

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English school boards insisted it’s their constitutional right to manage their own schools.

READ MORE: Not so fast, QESBA tells Quebec’s new education minister

They argue this right extends to holding fair elections.

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READ MORE: Montreal teachers take to the streets over education cuts

“We believe that the right to universally elected council is not only the best way of managing the English school boards, but it’s also part of the constitutionally protected rights of the Anglophone minority in Quebec,” said Suanne Stein Day, chairperson of the Lester B. Pearson School Board.

“So, we will continue to fight this.”

WATCH: The struggle to keep school board elections

The Quebec English School Board Association has hired a constitutional lawyer to guide them through negotiations with the minister.

Blais is planning to introduce a bill on school governance in the fall.

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