Proulx refuses to pay a bonus to teachers

File Photo, Simon Clark
The minister Sébastien Proulx does not intend to engage in additional funds.

Dominique Lelièvre and
Pascal Dugas Drone

Thursday, 1 February 2018 22:02

UPDATE
Thursday, 1 February 2018 22:08

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Although it welcomes the proposal to pay a bonus to teachers who teach in a class more difficult, the minister Sébastien Proulx did not intend to commit additional funds to such an extent.

“This is a decision that belongs to the school board, but I think that we should acknowledge the thinking that is made (…) to find solutions “, commented the minister of Education, Thursday, in response to the proposal of the president of the Commission scolaire de Montréal (CSDM) Catherine Harel-Bourdon.

The minister said he is concerned about the exodus of teachers of experience who are the most equipped to deal with the classes challenging. However, it is up to school boards to decide how to deal with it, he estimated.

“You know, it is their responsibility, they are the employer of teachers. It is here that we must respect this space between the two levels. Québec allocates a substantial budget to the various school boards to hire teachers, they have the responsibility of determining the allocation within their various schools, ” he recalled.

“We must do everything in our power to, within the budgets that are ours to the government of Quebec, to maximize the success of all the world,” said Mr. Proulx.

“[It] will have to see if it is the best avenue for everyone, ” he added about the proposal to allocate a bonus in the classes difficult.

The PQ favourable

For its part, the Parti québécois is in favour of the payment of such a bonus, considering the same to make an electoral commitment.

“We think that there should be incentives for teachers to experience, that we would recognize the complexity of the task that is offered to them “, indicated to the QMI Agency the spokesperson for education to the PQ Alexandre Cloutier on Thursday.

This premium could also be offered to less experienced teachers, but who ” demonstrate skills and specific skills “.

Factors of difficulty

Like Ms. Harel-Bourdon, Mr. Cloutier believes that we could identify the classes difficult depending on the index of deprivation (poverty) and under ” number of students identified as having a disorder of any kind “.

The idea of the bonus has also been discussed at the national Council of the PQ, the last weekend, but the party has not yet decided on the issue.

Even if it is not a miracle solution, the spokesperson for education said he personally agreed with the proposal of Harel-Bourdon.

“It could become an electoral commitment” in view of the general election of October 2018, he said.