“We understand the frustration that this arouses among parents and students,” said Antoine de la Durantaye, director of communications in the office of the Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville, in response to questions from the Soleil.
Monday evening, the governing board of Plateau Secondary School, in La Malbaie, ratified the change that was so feared by students and parents: from the next school year, secondary 4 and 5 will have to choose either a sports concentration, i.e. enriched maths and sciences. They will no longer be able to do both at the same time.
“The establishment of PPPs [comme les concentrations sportives]it is notably one of Minister Drainville’s seven priorities, because it has been demonstrated how good it is for our students,” adds Mr. de la Durantaye.
As soon as Minister Drainville was informed of this situation, he “immediately requested clarification in order to understand the decision of the school and the governing board.”
“We are still missing certain information, but last night, several parents, students and citizens demonstrated their dissatisfaction,” indicates the director of communications.
The minister therefore sent a “formal request” to the Charlevoix School Service Center and to the governing board “to review the decision and make a proposal that will achieve greater consensus.”
“Despite the decision taken by the governing board yesterday, in light of the dissatisfaction that it raises, it is their responsibility to question this proposal and redo their work. The minister will continue to monitor the situation closely,” concludes Mr. de la Durantaye.
Choosing your career at 14
From the outset, Mélissa Bouchard points out that she does not like “being the spokesperson” in the media spotlight. However, the one who launched the online petition to denounce the situation continues to accept interviews in order to publicize a decision “which makes no sense.”
“Since last night, I have been receiving messages from local and outside people who support us and tell us not to give up, that it is an inconceivable decision,” says Ms. Bouchard in an interview with The Sun.
In the coming weeks, his youngest son, who is currently in secondary 3, will have to make a heartbreaking choice between enriched math and science, or a sports consultation program.
“He will already have to choose his career, nothing more, nothing less. He will have to ask himself if he is opening a door or closing a door when he is 14 years old.”
— Mélissa Bouchard, mother of a student and instigator of the petition
She notes that her eldest son, who is now in college, always had good grades in math and “strong” science because he was “motivated” by playing the sport he loves.
“I think of the girls who play volleyball. At CEGEP, volleyball is very popular and the teams are high caliber. If they choose math and science, they will no longer be able to practice the sport for which they have given themselves body and soul,” maintains Ms. Bouchard.
During the governing board meeting which took place yesterday, the school management mentioned that it could no longer allow students to enroll in both sports studies and enriched math and sciences for “logistical” reasons, says Ms. Bouchard.
“Why does it work everywhere in other schools, why did it work before and it works this year, but it will no longer be possible next year?” she asks herself, before adding that she does not believe the school’s explanations are “credible.”
Following the meeting on Monday evening, several parents indicated their intention to file a complaint with the student protector, at the regional and national level. For its part, the petition launched by Ms. Bouchard on January 7 had gathered 1,202 signatures at the time of publishing these lines.
“It makes no sense that students who want to perform and who are capable of doing so are deprived of that for an administrative question, for a question of internal bureaucratic logistics, it doesn’t work!” laments Ms. Bouchard.
At the time of publishing these lines, the Charlevoix School Service Center had not responded to Le Soleil’s questions.
