Quebec reiterates that education “is its top priority” by announcing investments of $2.3 billion by 2027-2028 to develop the “potential of young people”, including $1.5 billion to help them succeed in their studies. .
The Legault government “has set itself the objective today of achieving the highest international standards in education by increasing the proportion of students who obtain a first diploma or a first qualification in secondary school to 90%”, we can read. in the budget document, titled A committed Quebec.
For the academic success component, “we are talking about primary and secondary education, motivation and the pleasure of learning,” Finance Minister Eric Girard said on Tuesday afternoon during the press briefing on his fifth budget.
Of this billion and a half dollars, Quebec will allocate $789.3 million by 2027-2028 to increasing student retention and success. This sum aims, among other things, to “raise the level of literacy and numeracy of young people”. An amount of $66.3 million from this envelope will be allocated over the next five years to support students with special needs.
This portion of the budget intended to “help young people succeed” also provides for the investment of $240.2 million over the next five years to improve the performance of the school network. This “goes through the use of data in the service of learning”, relates the government in its official budget presentation documents. To this amount, he adds $200 million for school maintenance.
By 2027-2028, the Government of Quebec also intends to devote $200 million to modernizing vocational training, and it will update the program offer, improve access routes and “further enhance the value of obtaining the diploma professional studies”. Québec thus wishes to encourage the graduation of 30,000 additional students from vocational training.
For this new fiscal year, Mr. Girard unequivocally recognizes the labor shortage that is rife in education, and will allocate $67.5 million over the next five years to “attract and retain experienced in the education network” and to “recognize the work done by school staff.
Annual growth in education spending — excluding higher education — fell from 10.1% in 2022-2023 to 6% in 2023-2024, and will drop to 3.3% in 2024-2025.
As for higher education, the Quebec government aims to promote access, perseverance and graduation by paying $717 million by 2027-2028 taken from the $2.3 billion envelope to “develop the potential of young people “.
Convert 5,000 daycare places
Finally, in the early childhood sector, the difficulties of access to childcare services have complicated the daily lives of many Quebecers, we can read in the budget document. The government says it now wants to promote a better “family-work-study” balance.
It will therefore inject $376.1 million by 2027-2028 to “provide educational childcare services adapted to the needs of families”.
In 2023-2024, Quebec also plans to convert 5,000 non-subsidized daycare spaces into subsidized spaces. “This measure will allow more families to take advantage of the reduced contribution, which is currently $8.85 per day,” the document reads.
With Laurianne Croteau
