Sonia LeBel, the Minister of Education, has taken action by removing the hiring cap imposed on school service centres (CSSs) by her predecessor Bernard Drainville. This decision comes after listening to feedback from CSSs and partners to ensure efficient use of reinvested funds from last summer. Drainville had initially announced significant cuts of $570 million to the network, but later reinvested $540 million while enforcing the staffing cap.
CSSs affected by the cuts were unable to rehire laid-off employees, causing concerns among opposition parties in Quebec City regarding student services. In response to this, LeBel announced the reversal of her predecessor’s decision, lifting the hiring cap to provide CSSs with the flexibility they need. However, there will be a hiring “target” in place to ensure careful monitoring of expenses.
During discussions in the question period, LeBel highlighted that 80% of education spending goes towards salaries. The delayed government actions resulted in a challenging start to the school year for students and school staff, according to Liberal education critic Madwa-Nika Cadet, leading to ongoing issues and disruptions.
Feedback from school principals, as shared by Québec solidaire education critic Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, indicated that the situation was perceived as less severe under the previous Liberal government due to clearer communication on budget cuts. Nadeau-Dubois emphasized the current challenges faced by the education network, including a shortage of substitute teachers, staff leaving for other jobs, and delays in providing services to students with special needs.
