School strike: "The victims of this strike are the children"

Minister Bernard Trinville will announce the school closure plan at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, but without even looking at the solutions proposed by the government, Mathieu Boc-Cot believes he won't find a miracle.

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“We could call it a catch-up program, but it's a formula that hides a reality, which is that these students won't catch up. There may be a small or partial catch-up, but students who have experienced COVID-19 years with less knowledge than they should have had in one school year and another year. will pass. […] The students were affected by this strike and they will leave at the end of the year,” explains Mathieu Bogue-Cot.

Also, his colleague Yasmin Abdelfadel says the government's options are limited because schools serve as centers for negotiating with unions and teachers.

“There is no school service center that takes this route. Instead we will focus on training and support for some local initiatives to help disadvantaged students. Forget the school calendar. The 180 days in the law regarding public education will not be honored this year,” he says.

Among the options that can be used to make up for time lost due to pressure tactics, extending class time by cutting recess and lunch breaks is not a good solution, says the former Liberal minister.

“It's a realistic way on paper, but in practice it's not a question of students' attention and ability to absorb new knowledge. [n’est pas mesuré] In terms of the number of hours in a day, but also based on the weather in the season between now and June. This could include changing academic days to school days or extending the school year,” says Caden Barrett.