Quebec teachers sound alarm over education budget cuts
'Teachers ... already make miracles happen every day,' says union official
As students get ready to head back to school, the Quebec federation of teachers’ unions is slamming the government for underfunding the education system.
The federation of Quebec education professionals (FPPE-CSQ) says it’s concerned about the province’s austerity measures, adding that $800-million has disappeared from education funding over the past five years.
“There is a limit to what we can demand from teachers, who already make miracles happen every day,” said Josée Scalabrini, president of the federation of teachers' unions (FSE)
The head of the CSQ union federation, Louise Chabot, said if the province wants a secure financial future, it should be investing in schooling, rather than making cuts.
“It’s false to suggest, as the education minister has and the premier did in his inaugural speech, that these compressions won’t affect student services, considering the education system is already lacking oxygen,” Chabot said in a statement.
Chabot called on Education Minister Yves Bolduc to step up and make Quebec’s education system a priority once again.