Most university professors claim to have censored themselves, the survey reveals

One-third of the 1,000 or more professors who responded to the survey said they had censored themselves without teaching a particular subject in the past five years.

Nearly a thousand university students responded to another commission survey: 64% of respondents believe they can use any words that are useful for educational purposes.

In addition, 28% of students who responded to the survey said they censored themselves during their studies, at the same rate that they did self-censorship from a teacher.

These are not some isolated cases, Minister McCann commented during a press conference on Wednesday in Quebec City, he is considering this document Priority.

The minister will wait for the commission’s recommendations in December to decide whether to impose national guidelines or introduce a bill in favor of professors exercising academic freedom.

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The Independent Science and Technology Commission for the Recognition of Freedom of Education was formed under the leadership of former PQ Minister Alexandre Clutier. Last March, Following a controversy that rocked the University of Ottawa.

In this institution, a professor uttering a word that was considered racist in the context of one of his classes led to discussions and questions.

Minister McCann shortly after University guidelines requested Quebec teachers and students have developed a framework in which the use of certain words can be discussed without slipping.

The minister says it is now the responsibility of the government Mobilization In this file. The university has a key role to play, but the government is there to support them and the professors […]McCann said Wednesday.

The activities to be implemented will definitely target the lecturers., She clarified.

Daniel McCann believes awareness should work. The mobilized students raised the issue of balance, diversity and inclusion. I think we need to stop opposing these questions with academic freedom, She believes.

Our universities are there to cultivate a critical and enlightened mindset in our students. In this sense, educational freedom can play a very important role in enhancing diversity, equality and inclusion.

More information needed

The head of the commission, Alexandre Clutier, surprised himself by the number of people who admitted to self-censorship within the framework of their work or study.

In addition, he said, public hearings explain the consensus on the importance of freedom of education.

Finally, we need to disseminate more information about what is currently available to protect educational freedom, says Mr. Both students and teachers call the administration [des universités] To do more, he said.

Nearly all professors (93%) who responded to the survey were not subject to formal disciplinary action in their institution for the comments they expressed over the past five years.

Of the professors who responded, 58% said they did not know if their university had official documents protecting academic freedom.

During its work, the Commission received 43 summaries, comments and testimonies and during its public hearings it met with more than twenty groups and stakeholders.

Is the quality of teaching affected?

Says Isabelle Arseno, associate professor of French literature at McGill University Ten years in the field of self-audit reflex.

ICI premiere interview on the show MIDI info, Said Ms. Arseno The cases reported to Concordia, McGill, Ottawa and UQAM are not a story or an epipheny.

The self-censorship in question occurs during the quoting of a word, not in ordinary conversation, he recalled.

This can happen when discussing a job in class or when creating a historical document or lesson plan that includes a word that is considered sensitive, Ms Arcino explains. One can also imagine a self-censorship that is related to things and subjects, guessing that they can feel it too, and get it hard and sensitive.

According to Isabelle Arseno, this self-censorship compromises the quality of teaching. Results [du sondage] Testify to a problem in terms of education, in terms of knowledge transfer.

Asked if she fears pressure from students or pressure from the university administration if there are lawsuits related to university independence, Isabelle Arseno responds: I would arbitrarily say that I am more afraid of management than students. Students resist, they want to discuss, they are surprised, I see the sign of good intellectual health. Universities, on the other hand, no longer do their duty and do not respect the rules of the game they fit into, which worries me even more..