Budgetary restrictions in schools: around a hundred projects to add space put on hold

In addition to cuts of $200 million imposed on the school network, Quebec is putting on hold around a hundred projects to add space, which includes school construction, expansions and the addition of modular classes, which causes the anger of municipal elected officials and concerns in the education sector.

The school service centers concerned were informed of this during a meeting last Friday.

No work in progress has been stopped, but 99 projects out of approximately 150 in planning (i.e. at the plans and specifications stage) have been suspended until further notice, according to data from the Ministry of Education obtained by The Journal.

This is particularly the case in Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier, on the outskirts of Quebec, where the construction of a new secondary school, which was to open its doors in 2029, is now postponed.

In this municipality, teenagers have to spend two hours, sometimes even three, on the bus every day to get to school.

“I have a hard time understanding that we give millions to multinationals and in the meantime, we don’t even take care of our children in our schools. It’s absurd,” says the mayor, Pierre Dolbec.

“As a citizen, it disgusts me, as a mayor, it curses me,” he adds, while recalling that this new school has been requested since 2017.

This scenario is repeated elsewhere in Quebec, such as in the Laurentians where three primary school construction projects are also put on hold (see details below).

On the South Shore of Montreal, four primary school construction projects, which were to accommodate nearly 3,000 students, are also on hold.

No canceled projects

In the office of the Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville, we would first like to clarify that these projects are not canceled.

“These are all projects that we will complete, but we must adjust the pace at which they advance. Our investments have reached historic levels and they will remain at very significant levels, but we must respect the wallets of Quebecers,” says his press secretary, Antoine de la Durantaye.

The Legault government has invested “record sums” to build, renovate and expand schools since 2018, going from $9 to $23 billion, he adds.

In the school network, however, we recall that the lack of space remains a “major” problem, despite the significant sums recently invested (see other text to read below).

School construction projects suspended: some examples

Construction of a secondary school in Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier

Construction of three primary schools in Lachute, Sainte-Sophie and Mirabel (Saint-Canut/Saint-Colomban sector)

Construction of three primary schools in Longueuil and one primary school in Brossard

“The priority that education should have been is no longer so”

Several stakeholders in the school network loudly denounce the $200 million cuts imposed on the school network as well as the delay in the construction of several new schools.

“The priority that was supposed to be education is no longer that priority. […] The government has made political choices which are not those of public services,” laments Mélanie Hubert, president of the Autonomous Education Federation, who recalls that the Legault government opted for a tax cut last year.

“We said at that time that today’s tax cuts are tomorrow’s cuts. Well here we are, this is the result of the choices that were made,” she added.

The postponement of school construction projects will have very concrete effects on several students who will have to attend overcrowded schools for longer, where there is often not enough space to eat in the cafeteria, underlines the president of the FAE .

Same story at the Fédération québécoise des directions d’establishment d’enseignement. The number of students who will have to transfer schools could also increase, indicates its president, Nicolas Prévost.

“It’s going to take a little game of musical chairs to move all these students. […] With school transportation and access to daycare, it will represent another headache that should not be neglected,” he says, while emphasizing that the modular premises used in the event of a lack of space “cost a fortune”.

At the Centrale des syndicats du Québec, we recall that the $200 million cuts are in addition to the recruitment freeze, cuts to francization and the reduction in amounts devoted to school maintenance.

“Does anyone still believe that this will not affect student services?” declared its president, Éric Gingras, on the social network X.

Same story from the Confederation of National Unions (CSN).

“It is impossible that these new austerity measures will have no impact on student services and existing staff, including support staff,” said in a statement written by its president, Caroline Senneville, who recalls that the lack of manpower is “glaring” in the network.