A special status is claimed for the cegep students in difficulty

Archival Photo Daniel Mallard
Charles McKenna is determined to pursue his studies in spite of a dysphasia-severe, associated with apraxia and dyspraxia.

Daphnée Dion-Viens

Monday, 29 January, 2018 20:32

UPDATE
Monday, 29 January, 2018 20:41

Look at this article

After having denounced the rules in place, a student with multiple learning disabilities is calling for a special status to help young people like him to succeed at the college.

• READ ALSO: Graduate despite the obstacles
• READ ALSO: Too many failures to continue his studies : a cégépien in difficulty denounces the rules

Charles McKenna was suspended from the cégep Beauce-Appalaches for the winter session in the wake of many failures, as provided by the rules in place in the college network.

A reduced number of courses to its schedule and a better framework would have been able to avoid this unfortunate situation, ” says the young man of 19 who is determined to pursue his studies in spite of a dysphasia-severe, associated with apraxia and dyspraxia.

To give a boost to students with special needs, colleges could put in place strategic plans for success, a procedure which would start in motion at the time of admission, with the diagnosis of the young person.

This tool would allow those cegep students to be advised from the outset in order to agree with them a number of courses to be reduced, to increase their chances of success. It should also allow these students to attend three, rather than four now, while being considered a full-time, which allows you to study for free at the college, says the mother of Charles, Catherine Thabet.

“We must enable these young people to learn. They are less fast, but you need to give them a chance to leave, just as it should be, to increase their chances of success “, she adds.

The case of Charles is far from unique. After the publication of a first article on the subject, The Journal has received in the last week of emails from young people and parents who report them also the lack of flexibility for students with learning disabilities in the cegep network, the number of which is steadily increasing since several years.

A proposal supported by the CAQ

For its part, the Coalition avenir Québec is in favour of the establishment of strategic plans for success of these cegep students with special needs.

“Beyond a cover academic, it is also necessary to provide them with administrative support. It would not cost so much more and everyone benefits, ” says mp Jean-François Roberge.

The latter specifies that it is not a question of decrease the requirements or to level down, but rather to reduce the number of courses per session. “The ball is in the camp of the minister “, lance-t-il.

It was not possible, Monday, to get comments about the office of the minister of higher Education, Hélène David.