The minister's claims about efforts to improve air quality in schools were questioned by liberal education critics.
Article Author:
La Presse Canadienne
Jean-Francois Loverge, Minister of Education, Quebec 1.3 million students are under pressure to return to school.
He said in a statement on Thursday that efforts to address labor shortages had been successful, improved educational support and made school environments safer.
The minister said more than 60,000 job applications had been submitted since June through the state's 'Répondons présent' recruitment campaign. School Service Centers are also recruiting, he said, and the government will ensure that all classes in Quebec are competent. More than 169,000 students will benefit from the tutoring program over the course of the year, and students will receive additional educational support through a $73 million investment in the program this year, he said.
He added that $19 million is dedicated to student mental health and well-being.
Regarding COVID-19, Roberge said wearing a mask is not mandatory. We have a reserve.
Additionally, 14 million rapid tests for COVID-19 will be distributed.
Inter-school sports and extracurricular activities will be allowed starting this school year.
Roberge said the school board and service center spent the summer improving air quality in the building. He said he will spend $500 million on school ventilation between July 2020 and his December of this year.
Marwah Rizy, an education critic for the Quebec Liberal Party, said his Roberge's efforts on ventilation were inadequate. The St-Laurent MNA proposed Bill 995 during the final session of the National Assembly. The bill sought to ensure a safe environment conducive to student academic success.
On the school bus situation, the Ministry of Education announced Wednesday that it had appointed Claude Sovagault as a negotiator.
A number of student transportation contracts expired on his June 30th, with many factors including inflation and labor shortages delaying renewal. Disruption is expected in some areas and the Fédération des centers de services scolaires du Québec is considering deploying emergency measures.
The union representing school bus drivers is demanding a $7,000 pay raise for her per route. The average annual income of a driver is 2 million yen.
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Quebec names negotiator to help stalled school bus contract negotiations
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Alison Haynes: Jean-François Roberge's words are hardly reassuring
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