Quebec schools deserve reinvestment, group tells government
It's the first day of school for children at the English Montreal School Board, and a number of groups are using the occasion to denounce the Quebec government's education budget cuts.
A coalition of unions, school associations and parental groups held a joint news conference on Sunday, calling on the provincial government to staunch the bleeding on education budgets.
The group says it's "sounding the alarm" on budget cuts that have, they said, led to a lower quality of education in Quebec.
Corinne Payne of the Fédération des comités de parents du Québec, a parents' committee, said the group is calling for a reinvestment in public schools.
"We can take the time necessary to arrive at a zero deficit without destroying the amazing education system we have in Quebec right now. We can take the time to get there. Let's not destroy what we have," she said.
The Liberal government increased education funding in its latest budget by 0.2 per cent — which, with the cost of inflation, essentially amounts to a cut.
"Yes, $1 billion seems like a lot, OK, but at the same time that's what's been cut over the past five years," Payne said.
Toilet paper rations
Josée Scalabrini, the president of a teachers' union federation, said some children won't be receiving their carton of milk in the morning, meaning some of them will go to class with nothing in their stomachs.
Payne said schools are trying to cut corners wherever they can, even going so far as to ration the amount of toilet paper children can use.
In the spring, the Lester B. Pearson School Board said it would have to let go of all of its librarians due to budget cuts.
Meanwhile, Education Minister François Blais has told school boards they should be able to absorb the cuts without affecting services for students, but Payne said that's not necessarily the case.
Louise Chabot, president of the Central des syndicats du Québec (CSQ), said the government is making a political choice by choosing not to invest in education.
"Enough is enough. It's unthinkable to believe that budget cuts won't affect services," she said.
