Q What will be the concrete importance of this exercise, the real impact in the classes?
R We welcome any consultation process. But you have to have realistic expectations.
We will arrive with very concrete elements, the objective is to support the students.
But we would have liked it to be a real public forum and that we could benefit from real exchanges in real time with each other, rather than the format of four half-days in small groups. I hope that there will be as much transparency as possible, that we will have access to everyone’s positions and documents.
These exercises are also valuable when we build consensus in real time by influencing each other, by thumbing up someone’s idea.
But my goal is for the minister to really listen. That it builds on the consensus and ideas of others to build and that the focus be on what will make the difference for the students.
Q What are the priority issues?
R First, support for students. Especially for those who have difficulties, delays and whose situation has worsened with the pandemic. Come out of there with a real picture of the tutoring needs and get the money. Understand that it will take a much larger injection of money than the $ 11 million already given.
The other key is support for teachers. Teachers are taken by the throat. They have less time to teach because they are asked all kinds of pandemic related tasks. For example, having additional resources for supervision and releasing teachers to do recovery.
Also, all the support specialists inside the school, in psychology, speech therapy, orthopedagogy.
It leads us to promote the profession. If the government had had real will, at the start of the pandemic, as the minister said at the time, we could have settled collective agreements. This would have made it possible to improve working conditions, to give more flexibility and more support.
Q Do you believe in the goodwill of Minister Roberge?
R I still want to live on hope and hope that he has learned from his mistakes. That he realized that we are always stronger as a minister when we are open to building from everyone’s ideas. Rather than having a defensive approach when others question or bring up ideas, embrace that!
I have a concrete example with Jean Boulet (Minister of Labor, Employment and Social Solidarity), on parental leave. He could have stepped in because I had shown the flaws in the bill. But on the contrary, we co-built together.
The minister (Roberge) must change his mode of operation and be co-constructing the best solutions.
Q Academically, will COVID-19 produce a sacrificed generation?
R There are going to be a lot of challenges. I am reassured to hear more and more voices saying that it will not be a matter of a few months to get over it. It will take a few years.
I hope that in these two days, we are not going to project just over the next few weeks or months. That we will plan for the next year. Because this year has not been planned at all. As we can see, tutoring begins to kick in two-thirds of the school year.
And the pandemic has widened the gaps even further. Depending on your background, you will do more or less well. Best example: Private tutoring companies cannot keep up with demand, while other families cannot afford to pay. It’s going to have long-term effects.
Q You are also the PQ’s family spokesperson. Why is there still a shortage of 50,000 child care spaces?
R When you arrive and you swell your chest saying: we’re going to fix everything that didn’t work before! But if you don’t tackle it day and night, it won’t happen. These changes don’t just happen.
We must have the financial means, the political will and be able to convince the Prime Minister and the entire government that this must be a priority. That was not the case!
Lots of factors explain this. The devaluation of the profession of educator. The lack of decent salary conditions. The fact that the shortage has been described for two years and that nothing was done at the start of the mandate (of the CAQ). We even drained educators to nursery schools for 4 years, leaving the hecatomb of the closing of family environments to increase with the pandemic.
The storm is total and was fully announced.
Q The final report of the Laurent commission on the DYP is expected next month. Do you think it will really improve the lot of these children?
R I deeply hope so.
Finally, we decided to make it a real workhorse and realize that, as an advanced society, we could not leave the fate of vulnerable children in bodies that do not have adequate resources, where we cannot did not put the necessary money and priority.
It will also take a change of philosophy in the way we approach these issues. We always say that we start from the best interests of the child, but in fact, there are so many divergent interests in these cases that sometimes practice and theory do not meet. You have to start from the child’s perspective all the time.
Q For five years, you withdrew from one leadership race of the Parti Québécois (2016) and did not participate in the other (2020), each time for reasons other than political. Do you still cherish the idea of becoming a chef?
R No. It is not a goal.
When I introduced myself, there was an energy that made people and I think it could be a good thing to bring about our vision. The way of exercising politics and approaching independence also challenged me.
I’m not unhappy with not being a boss. I live very well with it. I hope that we will have stability with our leadership.
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