To avoid having classes without a teacher in the weeks before the start of the school year, Quebec wants assignment issues to be resolved in June rather than at the start of the school year. But for the majority of school leaders Radio-Canada spoke to, as well as unions, this wish presented at the bargaining table is currently unrealistic.
That does not make sense. The times will be chosen in August. It causes psychodrama every year! Denounced in recent days by the Minister of Education Bernard Drainville. This is an extremely firm goal. “We need a less chaotic return to school,” Treasury Department President Sonia LeBel added Wednesday.
In fact, both Prime Minister François Legault and his ministers reiterate daily that they are ready to improve their salary offer if the unions agree on a more flexible allocation of these salaries.
However, those at the helm of this very complex process believe the government is on the wrong track.
Radio-Canada has learned that Quebec’s three largest principals’ associations, which represent hundreds of principals and their deputies across Quebec, believe the August assignment meeting is necessary.
We cannot prevent pregnancies, unexpected terminations, moves and sick days. We also have no way of knowing how many reception classes we will need to open. “The only thing we could perhaps do is to make parents aware of the importance of enrolling their children as quickly as possible,” says Montreal Association of School Directors (AMDES) President Kathleen Legault, the 600th Manager on the island of Montreal represents .
AMDES also highlights that the education minister’s widely publicized report on 8,558 vacancies in August affected only 7% of teachers.
This means that 93% of teachers have already been affected, she emphasizes.
This toll was reduced to 1,300 positions two weeks later.
The managers who have to deal with the headaches of these tasks have no chairs at the negotiating table, which they regret. Only representatives from school service centers are present.
The Fédération québécoise des Directions d’Establishment d’Enseignement (FQDE), which represents more than 2,000 schools in Quebec, adds that the importance of the August meetings is also linked to the funding rules dictated by the Ministry of Education. Education.
According to its president Nicolas Prévost, in the event that certain students end up not attending (e.g. due to a move), a school will prefer 10 well-filled classes instead of 11 to avoid financial penalties.
This is currently not possible [devancer l’affectation]completely impossible!
School leaders are still very conservative. If the financial rules allowed a certain amount of leeway, it would ensure a faster organization of our school organization, says Mr. Prévost.
This room for maneuver is necessary, adds Carl Ouellet, president of the Quebec Association of School Management Personnel (AQPDE), whose members are based in the Capitale-Nationale region and on the south coast of Montreal.
In August you have to find an outlet for changes, moves and new arrivals, he says.
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Carl Ouellet is president of the Quebec Association of School Management Personnel.
Photo: Quebec Association of School Management Personnel
The three organizations affirm that greater union flexibility may be needed in certain school service centers, but are unanimously concerned about the Legault government’s desire to impose a wall-to-wall system without their consent.
There are 72 service centers and school boards and possibly 72 procedures, recalls Carl Ouellet.
This will not solve the shortage problems, says the FAE
On Wednesday morning, the Autonomous Education Association (FAE), which represents 40% of teachers, argued that this proposal risks worsening staffing shortages rather than improving them.
The president of the FAE, Mélanie Hubert, referred in particular to the fact that teachers, currently out of breath, may want to be closer to their homes if such a decision is possible in August.
The government only thinks in numbers to show that it has the situation under control, but that will not solve any problem.
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The FAE has been on an indefinite general strike since last Thursday.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Julie Marceau
“The real psychodrama at the beginning of the school year is that the system is losing a significant proportion of qualified and competent people year after year because we have not been able to take care of them,” Ms. Hubert explained.
Even if opening a discussion with the unions is not a bad idea in itself, adds Nicolas Prévost, the current context of staff shortages is not favorable to the Legault government’s goal of closing workplaces from June.
If we had a lot of people, would a teacher be at risk of turning down a job? Maybe not. But we currently have a staff shortage. And it is not beneficial for us, the school principals, to complete the last lesson in June because we know that we will have gaps to fill, explains Mr. Prévost.
The Association of School Service Centers of Quebec, which represents employers of teachers, i.e.
[Nous choisissons] To enable negotiations and to trust the various parties so that everything takes place under the best conditions, says its spokeswoman Catherine Roy.
The Treasury Department reiterated in a letter to Radio-Canada that the allocation process is an important issue and that the government does not want to see another chaotic start to school.
Quebec believes changing the deployment schedule now would have a positive impact on teacher recruitment and retention, a vision that currently runs counter to that of unions and a majority of school administrators Radio-Canada spoke to.