Latest news with #éducation
CTV News
07-07-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Coalition against cuts in Quebec education network grows, petition nears 150,000 signatures
Éric Gingras, president of the Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ), photographed during a press conference on January 8, 2024, in Montreal. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press) Discontent over budget cuts in education is continuing steadily as the coalition grows and the petition on the National Assembly website nears 150,000 signatures. New groups have just joined the coalition 'Ensemble, unis pour l'école' (Together, united for school), the Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ) announced on Monday. They include the Quebec English School Boards Association (QESBA), the Quebec Intellectual Disability Society, and the Coalition de parents d'enfants à besoins particuliers du Québec, among others. Employers are finding themselves in the same coalition as unions representing teachers, support staff, and education professionals, as well as parents of children. 'The goal is to do something that has never been done before: bring all these people together and send a message that cuts to education cannot be tolerated,' said CSQ President Éric Gingras in an interview on Monday. At the end of the school year, Quebec announced that the network would have to reduce its spending by $570 million. Quebec denies that these are real cuts, saying it is simply slowing the pace of growth in the education budget, which will increase by 5 per cent instead of 7 per cent, as in previous years. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on July 7, 2025.
Forbes
05-07-2025
- Science
- Forbes
Université Laval
Located in Quebec City, Université Laval is North America's first French-language university. Founded in 1663, the globally-minded university currently has almost 50,000 students, more than 6,000 of which hail from around the world. Laval offers more than 400 academic programs and boasts 750 partnerships with universities in 70 countries, and receives more than $200 million in research funding annually.
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'We must help them': Morocco students get peers back in school
Moroccan student Said Rifai, 15, is on a mission to help his peers pursue education in a country where an estimated 270,000 children drop out of school each year. "We must help them come back," said Rifai, who goes to middle school in Tiflet, a town east of the capital Rabat, and has already helped several of his friends back to school as part of a national youth-led effort. To tackle the problem, which educators and officials warn exacerbates social inequalities and drives poverty, Moroccan authorities offer dropouts a chance back in with support from fellow students. One of Rifai's classmates, Doha El Ghazouli, who is also 15, said that together they had helped several friends return to school "before they abandoned their future". Huda Enebcha, 16, told AFP how she and her friend Ghazouli managed to convince a neighbour to resume her studies. "We helped her review the most difficult subjects, and we showed her videos of some school activities", said Enebcha. "She finally agreed after a lot of effort." To ease the transition back into the education system, the "second chance school" scheme offers some teenagers vocational training alongside remedial classes, with an emphasis on giving former dropouts agency and choice. Hssain Oujour, who leads the national programme, said 70 percent of the teenagers enrolled in it have taken up vocational training that could help them enter the labour force, with another 20 percent returning to the traditional school system. Across Morocco, a country of 37 million people, classrooms are often overcrowded, and the public education system is generally viewed as inferior to private institutions, which charge fees that can be prohibitive for many families. - 'Lend a hand' - Around 250 million children worldwide lack basic literacy skills, and in Morocco, nearly one in four inhabitants -- around nine million people -- are illiterate, according to the UN children's agency UNICEF. Dropout rates tend to be higher in rural and impoverished areas, said Said Tamouh, the principal of the Jawhara School in Tiflet that the students interviewed by AFP attend. An NGO-run "second chance school" nearby has some 110 students, who can sign up for art classes, hairdressing training or classical Arabic language courses. Sanae Sami, 17, who took up a make-up class, said she was "truly" given another shot at pursuing education. "When you leave school, there's nothing for you," she said. "That's why I decided to come back, especially thanks to the teachers at this centre." Hafida El Fakir, who heads the Salam association which runs the school, said that "support and guidance" were key in helping students "succeed and go far". Amine Othmane, a student who had re-entered the system last year with encouragement from his friends, is now helping others. To convince dropouts, he said, "they first have to regret leaving and want to return". Back in school, 18-year-old Aya Benzaki now hopes to achieve her dream of graduating with a diploma, and Jihane Errafii, 17, said she was grateful for the friends who had supported her journey. "I just needed someone to lend me a hand." isb-anr/fka/iba/bou/ami/tc
CTV News
23-06-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Quebec teachers' federation calls for Bernard Drainville to step down as education minister
Quebec imposed a hiring freeze in the public education sector as of Nov. 1 due to its tight financial situation. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press) The Fédération autonome de l'enseignement (FAE) is demanding that Quebec Education Minister Bernard Drainville step down, calling the $570 million cuts in education 'the last straw.' 'This is the worst end of year we could have imagined,' said FAE President Mélanie Hubert. 'We are only just beginning to grasp the scale of the cuts, the consequences of which are already proving disastrous for students, young people and adults, as well as for public schools.' She argues the FAE no longer believes Drainville is fit to lead the education ministry, calling the cuts 'improvised, incidental and pointless' and an 'attack on the teaching profession.' 'Despite repeated warnings from everyone working in education, he persisted in centralizing management that is out of touch with educational issues,' the FAE stated in a press release issued Monday, pointing out that there is a 'glaring shortage of staff, difficult working conditions and crumbling buildings.' Additionally, it adds that one in three students lives with learning difficulties, and schools are increasingly welcoming a growing number of allophones. 'The most precious thing about Quebec, and what the [François] Legault government must invest in, is not motorways and battery factories. It's our children and their future,' said Hubert. 'Minister Drainville's credibility has been tarnished, and it's time for Premier François Legault to appoint someone who listens to and respects the education community.' The federation insists the public school network is already in crisis and is accusing Drainville of slashing more than $1 billion in the sector, imposing a debilitating hiring freeze, allowing people to obtain a teaching licence without having ever taken a course and dismantling francization services for adult education. The federation also criticizes the Quebec government for centralizing power, 'undermining several fundamental rights of teachers,' duplicating existing mechanisms and adding a layer of bureaucracy, 'instead of listening to the players on the ground.' The FAE insists that it will spend the summer documenting each cut 'to paint a true picture when the summer holidays return,' as the full scope of how the sector could be affected may not be seen until the start of the new school year. 'Teachers, students and their parents will spend the summer worrying and wondering what services they will have access to next year,' she said. 'The minister has admitted that there could be a breakdown in services, which is indecent and inexplicable.'
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Quebec schools advised to takes safety measures against heat wave
The extreme heat and humidity that is set to amplify across Ontario and Quebec has prompted the latter's education minister to urge school boards to execute safety measures for students and teachers this week, beginning on Monday. With heat warnings blanketing a good portion of Central Canada, Quebec Education Minister Bernard Drainville has published a letter online from Stéphanie Vachon, assistant deputy minister, to school boards––advising them of the incoming heat and to implement safety measures, including shutdowns, if necessary, this week. RELATED: "The network must take all measures to ensure the safety and well-being of students and school teams," said Drainville, in a post on X, translated to English. He noted that several school service centres are already in the process of taking action. Vague de chaleur extrême lundiLe réseau doit prendre TOUS les moyens pour assurer la sécurité ET le bien-être des élèves & des équipes-écoles.S'il faut fermer des écoles,faites-le!Plusieurs centres de services scolaires sont en de la sous-ministre adjointe👇 — Bernard Drainville (@BDrainvilleQc) June 22, 2025 In the letter, Vachon noted many school boards already relayed the recommendations from regional public health authorities to their respective administrators. "In this context, we encourage you to implement all the preventive measures you deem necessary to ensure everyone's safety. Depending on the situation, these measures may include the closure of one or more schools for the day of June 23," said Vachon, in the letter. Parts of Ontario and Quebec will endure a multi-day stretch of extreme heat and humidity beginning Sunday, with temperatures climbing into the low- to mid-30s and humidex values rising toward the mid-40s. Expansive alerts stretch from Denver, Colo., and New Orleans, La., to portions of Quebec as hazardous heat and humidity lock into place heading into the final full week of June. Overnight lows will remain in the mid-20s, providing little relief for those living without reliable access to air conditioning. The heat comes courtesy of a powerful ridge of high pressure developing over the eastern United States, nudging into Ontario and Quebec at the end of the weekend. The impressive heat wave that needs to be taken seriously. Drink plenty of water. Avoid caffeine and alcohol, which can be dehydrating. Avoid direct sunlight, especially during peak hours and when the UV rating is high. Wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing. Use air conditioning when possible. If you do not have access to air conditioning, consider visiting a cooling centre, a shopping centre, or a public library. Check on elderly relatives and other vulnerable neighbours. Avoid strenuous activities during the hottest parts of the day. If you experience symptoms of heat-related illnesses like dizziness, nausea, or confusion, seek medical attention. Follow Nathan Howes on X and Bluesky.
