Our education system had been deteriorating for several decades in generalized indifference and government talk that maintained the illusion that we were taking care of it.
Fortunately, since the beginning of the year, not a single day has gone by without it being mentioned in the media and concern being expressed among a greater number of citizens.
This collective awareness seems to push us to act and to want to raise the bar. So much the better!
The recovery will require urgent interventions, however, it will be necessary to be patient and understand that it will take a long time to regain an acceptable level of efficiency.
A matter of state
It is up to the state and our governments to establish the school’s mission and develop a vision for its development.
The vagueness of ministerial intentions in recent decades has given rise to all sorts of not always successful initiatives and has discouraged many students from entering the field and many professionals from staying in it.
Contrary to the mission of education, which should ensure a common base for all students, the trend has rather focused on the development of the elite by multiplying the left behind.
Three-tier education with selection in private and public schools leaves mainstream classrooms doomed for more children.
If it is true that we are not all born equal, it is up to the school to iron out these inequalities by pulling all pupils upwards.
We should put an end to selective projects and the financing of private schools in favor of a school benefiting from multiple specific projects that will motivate all pupils.
The training program should be adjusted by making room for the explicit teaching of knowledge.
Teacher training should be improved so that it can better serve students with learning difficulties.
The introduction of teaching assistants could also be a solution to the shortage.
However, our politicians must have a clearer vision of our education system and clarify its mission!
A teacher’s task
The discourse around the reform put the student at the center of school organization. For many pedagogues, this is an error of perspective.
The main actor in the school film is the teacher. The other staff members are also important players insofar as they support the work of the teacher.
In such a framework, an explicit recognition of his professionalism and a priority consideration of his point of view in the follow-up of the pupils is essential while taking into consideration the opinion of his colleagues and parents.
A student’s homework
It is up to the school to make itself interesting in the eyes of the pupil.
However, it is the student’s responsibility to make the necessary efforts to learn and develop a critical mind that will make him a full-fledged citizen in the future.
Let’s hope that the ongoing conversations will bring about significant changes and that the Quebec school will regain all its pride!