“They let us down,” says Cynthia Caron, a lump in her throat and still in shock, moments after helplessly watching the decision to stick the key under the door of the facility where she has been for 15 years informed .
We are losing a community asset and wasting unique expertise, adds equally darkly his colleague David Gour, teacher of drawing and furniture design at the National School of Furniture and Furniture, Montreal Cabinetmaking (ENME).
The fate of the technical school had been uncertain for some time, causing concern among its teaching staff.
Ms. Caron, Mr. Gour and their colleagues were informed during Monday of the intention of the management of the Cégep de Victoriaville to recommend the suspension of activities on the Montrà campus. ©al of ENME as well as the sale of its building, located on Avenue De Lorimier since 1995.
This decision was confirmed later that evening in Victoriaville by a decisive majority of board members. About thirty ENME teachers and students traveled from Montreal, and particularly emotionally charged colleagues from the Victoriaville campus came to the meeting in solidarity.
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The board meeting of Cégep de Victoriaville took place on Monday in front of an attentive and sad audience.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Courtesy of FEC-CSQ
Some of them took the floor to attempt a definitive defense of the education establishment, hoping to turn the tide, but to no avail, says Cynthia Caron. I am impressed. We would have expected a little more support, but no. It's as if the spell has already been cast.
A difficult decision, according to the Cégep de Victoriaville
This is an important page in the history of the Cégep that is currently being turned and it is a difficult decision, mentions the general director of the Cégep de Victoriaville, Denis Deschamps, Communications Channel. It also ensures that the affected teachers are offered support and help.
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Denis Deschamps, general manager of Cégep de Victoriaville, in Centre-du-Québec
Photo: Radio-Canada
The explanation given for this choice is essentially financial reasons, presented as the centralization of activities at the furniture and carpentry school in Victoriaville.
The possibility of offering only one course of study, the challenges related to recruitment, as well as the financial problems related to maintaining services to the university community, renewing and maintaining state-of-the-art equipment and improving the building are some of the motivating reasons [cette] Decision, explains the management of the Cégep de Victoriaville.
Although the Cégep de Victoriaville has decided the fate of its campus in Montreal, it will only cease its activities in 2027, the management indicates via communication channel.
Admission will be maintained in fall 2024 and enrolled students will be able to complete their course and receive their diploma prior to official graduation.
The Federation of College Education (FEC-CSQ), which represents teachers at the Cégep de Victoriaville, has also expressed on social networks its solidarity with the employees who will be affected by this decision, which it describes as unfortunate.
frustration
“I find it extremely unfortunate that the debate is once again focused exclusively on accounting,” says teacher David Gour.
He is angry with the management of the Cégep de Victoriaville, which, according to Mr. Gour, prefers to close this school rather than find a way to pass the torch to another institution that could breathe new life into it. Management has said they don't want CEGEP to compete with itself because there will still be a carpentry program in Victoriaville, he explains. .
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Montreal ENME team Cynthia Caron (second from left) and David Gour (second from right) said they were dismayed by the closure of their educational institution.
Photo: Julien Duchane
Why are we willing to accept the loss of our common good? Why don't we just think about giving this mission to another player on the network who could take it on?
Our appeal is: “Let us find a solution to keep this training project alive,” says the man who has been working in the carpentry industry for more than two years.
In his opinion, the community of carpenters and teachers at the ENME in Montreal would be ready to mobilize to create a real center for furniture education in Montreal, offering programs for artistic professions and for those focused on the furniture industry or even computers , could bring together -supported production.
All that is missing is the political will to implement this project and save our school, concludes David Gour in a hopeful tone.