On March 20, the Minister of Education unveiled the contents of his Bill 94 (PL94). It is supposed to “reinforce secularism in the education network.” However, this title seems more like a pretext for further centralizing powers in the hands of the Minister and attacking teacher autonomy.
PL94 imposes annual evaluations on teachers, who will be required to submit pedagogical plans to their principals. However, the teachers' unions denounce this as an increase in their workload.
Indeed, this measure necessarily implies more bureaucracy. What's more, current legislation already gives principals the right to consult teachers' pedagogical planning when they deem it necessary.
Principals can also agree with teachers to place them under pedagogical supervision when they encounter significant difficulties.
The new bill thus seems to miss the point completely, even though the problems are glaringly obvious. For example, the education network is relying more and more on teachers who are not legally qualified. What's more, the number of students with special needs is on the rise.
As a result, education workers are demanding more resources and support staff in schools. Increasing their bureaucratic burden could affect the quality of education given to students and push even more teachers out of the profession.
Finally, the law will also allow the Minister to block resolutions passed by school councils at will. With the abolition of school boards by Philippe Couillard's Liberal government, school councils are the last remaining democratic spaces in the school system.
Made up of teachers, parents, community members and the school administration, the school councils make decisions on the school's pedagogical orientations and budget.
Double standards on secularism
PL94 claims to strengthen secularism in the education network by attacking the wearing of religious symbols. Yet the CAQ subsidizes private religious schools in the province to the tune of $160 million.
Despite the fact that most of them are not aligned with ministerial programs, the Ministry of Education grants them exemptions year after year and continues to subsidize them.
In Quebec, 21% of high school students attend private schools. Subsidies to private schools total $737 million, plus $36 million in tax credits.
Not to mention the fact that there seems to be a double standard when it comes to the Ministry's treatment of public and private networks. The Ministry seems to be seeking to control everything and limit democracy in the public system while leaving the private system free to disregard programs and secularism.