Our investigative agency specializes in the art of fact finding. Throughout the election campaign, our researchers will present their results to you in order to uncover surprising, dubious or outright false statements by the candidates and make them more visible to you.
THE STATEMENT
CAQ MNA Mario Asselin wrote on Twitter last week that “this popular notion that there would be ‘student selection’ in Quebec’s private educational institutions is one of the most persistent myths.”
He added in another tweet that “private schools remain accessible to the vast majority of parents in Quebec, and they also have a large number of students with learning disabilities. »
FACTS
Not all private schools have an entrance exam, but almost all have a student selection process.
Job interviews, workshops on social skills, placement tests, selection based on school performance, lottery… There are many options at private schools.
L’Heure Juste analyzed the admissions process of all private elementary and/or secondary schools in Quebec with 300 or more students, excluding denominational schools and schools dedicated to students with learning disabilities.
It shows that out of 121 schools, only 21 do not have a selection process based on academic excellence, entrance tests and/or sessions. Additionally, 11 of these schools have not detailed the admissions process on their websites, so some may select their students based on academic results as well.
In addition, it is also not true that private schools are “accessible to the vast majority of parents”. Financial constraints limit access for many students with high admission and tuition fees. And several regions have few or no private schools. For example, there is no private school in Abitibi-Témiscamingue and only one on the north coast. A 2020 review by La Presse also reported that more than 75% of private schools are located in urban areas. In 2020-2021, 80% of secondary school students attended public schools.
Mario Asselin did not respond to our request for explanations.