The National Student Ombudsman submits his first Annual Report to the National Assembly Français

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National Student Ombudsman

Feb 20, 2025, 13:01 ET

QUÉBEC CITY, Feb. 20, 2025 /CNW/ - It is with great pride and a strong sense of achievement that the National Student Ombudsman is releasing its 2023-2024 Annual Report, the first since the institution's beginning, on August 23, 2023.

The National Student Ombudsman (NSO) is Québec's education watchdog. As such, the institution acts completely independent of school organizations. Under the Act respecting the National Student Ombudsman, the NSO and the regional student ombuds see to the rights of elementary, secondary, and home-schooled children and their parents concerning the services they receive from school service centres, school boards and private educational institutions. Recourse is also provided to students in vocational education programs and general adult education.

The NSO and regional student ombuds employ rigour, neutrality and impartiality in processing complaints about school services, bullying and violence, as well as complaints and reports about acts of sexual violence. Their extensive investigative powers and the guarantees of confidentiality regarding the information they gather enable them to delve way below the surface.  The recommendations they make to school organizations provide concrete solutions to the problems identified and often prevent these problems from recurring.

A busy first year

For 2023-2024, more than 1.3 million students, attending some 3,126 schools, and their parents, were able to seek the assistance of their regional student ombuds. In concrete terms, this enabled 3,534 requests for information and assistance and 1,006 complaints and reports to be received and processed.

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"Our services have been eagerly awaited and are making a real difference every day to students' progress at school and in the education system, as demonstrated by the many positive testimonials we've received from students and parents. I'm confident that the solid foundations we've laid during this first year of operations will enable us to strengthen the institution even more and to continue to take concrete action on behalf of Québec's students and parents."

Me Jean-François Bernier
National Student Ombudsman

Statistics as at June 30, 2024

Between August 23, 2023, and June 30, 2024, 1,006 complaints and reports were received and processed, 447 of which were completed by June 30. More specifically:

  • There were 668 grounds for complaints and reports
  • 37% of these grounds proved to be substantiated
  • 762 recommendations were made
  • 92% of the recommendations made were accepted by the school organizations
  • 88% of accepted recommendations were implemented.

To see the entire 2023-2024 Annual Report and for all the details of this first year of operation, go to our Publications section on Quebec.ca.

At all times, parents and students are encouraged to contact the NSO if school-service issues arise or if students experience a situation that could affect their health, safety and well-being.

To make a complaint, report a problem or ask any question:

For more information on the National Student Ombudsman:

SOURCE National Student Ombudsman

Source: National Student Ombudsman, Nicole Stipaničić, Communications Advisor, [email protected]

Organization Profile

National Student Ombudsman