SAINT-LAMBERT–The Ideas Québec Forum on education ended on a bitter note Sunday.
The three-day event touched on the future of education in the province, but the teachers’ union says it was left out.
“It’s kind of, if I can say the word, schizophrenic,” said Caroline Senneville, president of the National Federation of Québec Teachers, FNEEQ. “Because a bunch of interesting people are meeting to discuss about the future of education when right now, education is not doing so well.”
The forum touched on how to prepare students for the future and featured a panel of local and international experts. But the panel left some hot topics out of the discussion: government cuts that will see larger class sizes and potentially lower the quality of services for special needs students.
READ MORE: Lester B. Pearson teachers protest government cuts
“That’s what we’re protesting against. It’s a show. We don’t know what’s gonna come out of it,” said Senneville.
The forum also left teacher representatives out of the panel and that, according to the union, is counter productive.
“We’re gonna discuss the future but right now the present isn’t going so well because of their actions,” said Senneville.
Forum organizers say they’re trying to look forward. They say the forum is not a place for negotiations.
“There are 365 days in the year, so we skipped two days so they have the other 362 this year,” said Jean Francois Garneau who organized the forum.
Québec’s Premier Philippe Couillard agrees. He says it’s time the focus shifts.
“There will be a piece of legislation tabled by Mr. Blais that’s going to reflect our main orientation,” said Couillard.
The legislation will describe with much more precision the roles and responsibilities of the ministry, school boards and the school. Couillard also reiterated school boards will be kept.
“Giving much more say and influence to teachers and parents particularly who have not been given all the attention and the room they need to participate in the management of the school system until now,” Couillard added.
READ MORE: Québec teachers on strike: 4 things you need to know
But teachers insist it’s about building on a strong foundation.
“We’re dealing with our future here. When a young person doesn’t have the services that it needs right now it’s gonna hurt for years on,” said Senneville.
These growing pains, however, are already hurting students.
READ MORE: EMSB and Lester B. Pearson teachers vote to strike
Protests are ongoing and teachers are expected to walk away from classrooms later this fall.
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