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Teachers unions, university professors and defenders of the public school system on Monday called upon Quebec Education Minister Bernard Drainville to abandon his proposed reform of the education network.
Bill 23 would modify the province’s Education Act and, among other things, create a provincial institute for excellence in education.
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If adopted, the law would create a director-general of the province’s French-language school service centres, allow the ministry to determine the standards by which certain education services could be provided remotely and authorize the ministry to provide for the compulsory training for teachers.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, nearly a dozen representatives denounced the reform, saying it would give too much power to the ministry, reduce teacher independence, ignore expert opinion on education and “de-professionalize” teaching by giving legal authorization to teach after shorter training periods.
“They’re not listening to education personnel, not listening to teachers, not listening to support staff, professionals, not listening to university professors, not listening to researchers, not listening to the opposition. They’re not listening to those with something to say, who are actors (in the system) and who raise elements to improve a proposed law that does not meet expectations,” Centrale des syndicats du Québec president Éric Gingras said.
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