How many students will the Government of Québec choose to let down? - At school, it's students that must come first

QUÉBEC, May 19, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - The parents actively involved in education are joining with education professionals to condemn the cutbacks foisted on children in all public schools in Québec.

Accompanied by Fédération des professionnelles et des professionnels de l'éducation (FPPE-CSQ) President Johanne Pomerleau, Corinne Payne, President of the Fédération des comités de parents du Québec (FCPQ), reminded the government that it must invest in education.

Ms. Payne pointed out that "by imposing cutbacks on the public education system, the government is forcing school boards to abolish resource positions such as remedial teachers, psychologists, speech therapists, special education technicians and guidance counsellors." Ms. Payne warns that these decisions could wipe out ten years' progress in lowering the drop-out rate in Québec. 

She went on to say that "the job cuts in recent years have already resulted in a shortage of professional resources that force schools to choose every day between the slate of services they provide to children who are in trouble or are bordering on difficulty. With these new slashes, the situation could get even worse."

"For the sake of students—who are our future—this slow bleed has to stop now," insisted FPPE-CSQ President Johanne Pomerleau. "School boards aren't able to absorb cuts any longer. A government that has integrity doesn't choose to balance the books at the expense of young people who aren't empowered to have their rights respected. Access to public professional services tops the list of their needs; don't forget that it's a legally protected right upheld by the Supreme Court in 2012!"

"In every public school in Québec, there are students for whom early screening for learning disorders and prompt action by education professionals is crucial to their progress. How will these children get the help they need to succeed if there are no specialists to help in their development?" the FCPQ President asked.

She continued by adding that "even at this point, there's a shortage of services for students who have severe learning disabilities. Can you imagine the situation for those who just need a bit of help occasionally to prevent the scales from tipping in the wrong direction?"

Ms. Payne is asking the government to own up to the consequences of its decisions: "The reality in public schools is that, every day, education professionals must choose which students they can help and which they will have to leave behind due to the shortage of resources. As a parent, I find this very disturbing. You can't leave success and staying in school up to chance. Will we have to send the government a weekly list of the children in difficulty so it can decide which ones will get help and which will have to make it on their own? Too many parents in Québec are wondering whether the system will let their child down."

The FCPQ President wrapped up by saying, "we are running out of ways of making the government understand that curbing investment in public education amounts to undermining potential long-term wealth creation. We believe that education is the most powerful engine of economic development there is. Unfortunately, the Government of Québec is cutting off the fuel supply. For a government that claims that it wants to develop the full potential of the knowledge economy, this is a problem."

Profile of the Fédération des comités de parents du Québec (FCPQ):

For nearly 40 years, the FCPQ has been an umbrella group for Québec school board Parents' Committees and has supported volunteering parents who care about parent participation in public elementary and secondary schools in order to ensure quality education for children.

SOURCE Fédération des comités de parents du Québec (FCPQ)

Jean-François Gilbert, Phone: [phone], Cell phone: [phone], Email: [email protected]