Educators await details on François Legault's pre-kindergarten promise

Educators and the groups that represent them are anxiously awaiting changes coming to the province's education system. 

Premier-designate François Legault has said improving Quebec's schools is one of his government's top priorities.

The day after his party was elected, he reiterated his promise to renovate buildings and screen children for learning disabilities.

"I want to put in place a plan to renovate our schools quickly," he told reporters on Tuesday, at his first news news conference since Coalition Avenir Québec won a resounding majority.

"So we can offer our children beautiful schools as soon as possible."

Some of his most ambitious and controversial promises, including creating a pre-kindergarten for four-year-olds, involve the Education Ministry. He has said his pre-kindergarten plan will free-up 50,000 daycare spots.

Critics question the CAQ's $311 million annual price tag for the program and whether it's achievable, given the shortage of space in many schools.

A spokesperson for the organization that represents most early childhood education centres in the province said the organization has met with Legault to discuss the subject.

"We actually offered him our full collaboration on these issues," said Marie-Claude Lemieux, public affairs director of the Association Québécoise des Centres de la Petite Enfance.

She supports Legault's promise to screen children for learning disabilities at four years old, but said daycare workers are also often able to identify issues, such as language problems, early and work with children individually.

The organization is not opposed to pre-kindergarten, she said.

Often new Quebecers might not be as comfortable sending their children to daycare as they would be to send them to school, she said, and that there are not enough CPE spots for every Quebec child.

She said she's open to pre-kindergarten for four-year-olds, but would like to see government create additional spots in CPEs. There are currently 300,000 children attending daycare, but only 95,000 spaces in CPEs.

"We need for the government to be more explicit for how they view the role that the CPEs can play, and if they are willing to open up more spaces in CPEs," she said.

Lines of communication are open

Russell Copeman, executive director of the Quebec English School Boards Association (QESBA), said Legault has been open to listening to the different stakeholders.

"The lines of communication are open," he said. "We've been assured that there will be a meeting at the highest levels with the new government as soon as possible."

Copeman said there are studies that show adequately funded and well-thought-out pre-kindergartens help with child development and school success.

He said QESBA will be keeping an eye on how the province plans to implement pre-kindergarten in smaller, more rural communities.

"Some of those communities may need it the most. Some are very low-income areas," he said. "If pre-K is going to be rolled out, we need to see some flexibility to respond to these low-density, very small communities."