Is it so unreasonable to want almost all children to be able to obtain a high school diploma and to want many to obtain a higher education diploma?
The L’École ensemble movement proposes to put an end to selective schools and projects, to return to the neighborhood school without selection and to finance 100% of private schools that will follow this logic.
For schools that would continue to select their clientele, direct or indirect state funding would cease.
The movement wants to base the school on the fundamental missions of an education system. In this case, to educate and instruct all children.
The last few decades have, on the contrary, sustained an elite education, contributed to increasing inequalities and left nearly 40% of students in the lurch.
Making school interesting for everyone, aiming for new heights in graduation, and leaving as few children as possible to fend for themselves are noble goals pursued by the School Together movement, and they don’t deserve to be called leveling off. down !
The experts
I was not surprised to learn that Claude Lessard, former president of the CSE and professor emeritus at the University of Montreal, is assuming the presidency of the L’École ensemble movement.
Claude is one of my heroes in education, both for the knowledge accumulated over the course of his long career and for his framework of values and his concern for consistency.
Unlike pseudoconnoisseurs, the former president of the CSE bases his remarks on research and analysis while not making a religion of evidence.
He has demonstrated on many occasions in the past that the competition of private schools with the public network, the multiplication of specific selective projects in schools and the rankings have not made it possible to raise the graduation thresholds and have created more losers. so many winners.
Everything suggests that those who want to maintain a three-speed education system do so to preserve their privileges while giving a damn about bringing well-being to all children.
Lessard’s words will make less noise than those of Gregory Charles. However, it has the quality of an expert and it turns out to be much more relevant!
Little hope for change
The proposal of the L’École ensemble movement is in line with the Quiet Revolution and the creation of the Ministry of Education. She suggests completing the momentum that animated the actors of the Parent commission.
Their proposal is daring because it involves a lot of frustrations for the privileged of the current mode of operation.
Unfortunately, education will prove to be a weak election issue next fall. It would be very surprising to see politicians put their heads on the chopping block to build a school for all in a world where individualism triumphs to monopolize scarce resources.
However, I know of the persistence of Claude Lessard and Stéphane Vigneault, coordinator of the movement. They will eventually lead to lasting change.
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