School boards describe cuts as ‘ worst in history’

Groups representing the province’s education sector are accusing the Couillard government of balancing the province’s books on the backs of students and teachers.

The minuscule 0.2 per cent increase in spending announced by Finance Minister Carlos Leitão in his budget Thursday won’t even cover the costs of inflation and operating the system, representatives of the English and French systems said.

“The Treasury Board President Martin Coiteux was quoted as saying ‘ the work to balance the budget places youths at the heart of Québec’s priorities,’ but we see it as a budget built on the backs of our students,” said David D’Aoust president of the Quebec English School Boards Association.

D’Aoust estimated the English system alone needed a three per cent increase and said the shortfall represents a $ 35 million hole.

“The question we must ask ourselves; how will our school boards cope and what will be the effect on students and our English- speaking communities?” D’Aoust said.

The tone was the same from the Féderation des commission scolaires representing Quebec’s francophone boards.

Federation president Josée Bouchard said 0.2 per cent will not even cover the normal growth in expenses, which she estimated to be $ 350 million a year.

She described the spending reductions as the “worst in history.”

Sylvain Mallette, president of the Féderation autonome de l’enseignement representing 32,000 Quebec elementary and high school teachers, echoed the statement, noting the spending restraints are nowhere near as bad for the private school system which only see their funding reduced by $ 2 million.

“Clearly the government has chosen to defend private schools and abandon the public system,” Mallette said in an interview.

But at a news conference to make public spending estimates which go with the budget, Coiteux argued the education network’s funding is not that bad because they will benefit from increased revenues stemming from increasing real estate values.