The public is gaining ground

Photo Stevens LeBlanc
In the area of Val-Bélair, Quebec, the all-new primary school to the Myriad will host nearly 400 students from kindergarten to the sixth grade as early as Tuesday. On the photo, Abigaelle Girard, along with her mother, Vanessa Berthiaume, will take possession of his new class tomorrow.

Daphnée Dion-Viens

Monday, 28 August, 2017 00:01

UPDATE
Monday, 28 August, 2017 00:01

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Today and tomorrow, thousands of small, Quebec will resume on the way to school, then the year will be marked by the return of financial education and school orientation. Once again this year, the public network is gaining ground.

According to the most recent figures from the ministry of Education sent to the Newspaper, the increase in the number of students is more important in the public network (+ 2 %) in the private network (+ 0.4 percent). For the past five years, the proportion of students who attend the public network increases continuously.

But these figures do not necessarily mean that the popularity of private schools is running out of steam, argues the Federation of private educational institutions.

“In some areas, yes, there is a decrease in the number of students, but in other major centres, the schools are at maximum capacity and we don’t have the space to take more students,” says its president, Jean-Marc Saint-Jacques.

No request for funding for a new private school has not been accepted by the ministry of Education for nearly 10 years, according to the Federation.

Strong competition

The Centrale des syndicats du Québec, it is considered, rather than the “thin decrease” in the proportion of students who attend the private ” seems to favor the public network “.

Its president, Louise Chabot, recalls, however, that the public schools proliferated over the years, the specific projects to compete with the private network, with programs where students are selected according to their academic results or the financial capacity of their parents.

“For the children with equal opportunities, the competition comes from the private or the public, there is nothing favourable in there “, she says.

The greater increase in enrolments in the public network could also be explained by the constant increase in the number of students in difficulty, because the private schools offer much less services for those young people who have special needs, ” says Ms. Chabot.

For their part, private schools have been asking for additional funding which would allow them to accommodate more students in difficulty. “It would help us to reduce the burden on the public network,” says Mr. Saint-Jacques.

Proportion of students enrolled in the public network

►2016-2017 : 88,00 %

►2015-2016 : 87,82 %

►2014-2015 : 87,61 %

►2013-2014 : 87,41 %

►2012-2013 : 87,25 %

►2011-2012 : 87, 08 %

Proportion of students enrolled in the private network

►2016-2017 : 11,81 %

►2015-2016 : 11,95 %

►2014-2015 : 12,18 %

►2013-2014 : 12,38 %

►2012-2013 : 12,54 %

►2011-2012 : 12,67 %

Source : ministry of Education and higher Education

What’s new to watch

1. Financial education in secondary 5

Upon reentry, a new financial education will be given to all the pupils of fifth secondary, who will have the opportunity to become acquainted with notions such as debt and savings.

This content had disappeared from the grid material with the arrival of the reform of the secondary school at the end of the 2000s. Financial education will replace a part of the course contemporary World, including the number of hours goes from 100 to 50.

2. Orientation of school in 5th grade

The school orientation will also make a return in all elementary schools this fall. Capsules information for a period of 6 to 10 hours per year will be offered to the students of the fifth year of primary school until the end of secondary school.

This formula has been tested in the form of pilot projects over the past three years. The school guidance had also disappeared from the schedule with the arrival of the reformation, which had done away with the course of career Education at the secondary level.

3. 1500 new hires

After years of cutbacks in the school system, Quebec has announced in its last budget of $ 114 million for the hiring of 1,500 new teachers, professional and support staff this year to help the students of kindergarten and first grade to start on the right foot.

However, teacher unions have expressed doubts about the possibility of making these hires upon reentry, particularly in the Montreal area.

4. Kindergarten 4 years

Québec has announced the creation this fall of 100 new classes from kindergarten to four years of full-time disadvantaged communities, which should bring the total to 288 classes in 2016-2017. However, school boards are struggling to fill the places available, particularly in Quebec and in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean. Remains to be seen how many additional classes will be created this year.