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Quebec Education Cuts Trigger Protests in Gaspé Over Funding Crisis
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Nearly 150 individuals rallied in Gaspé today, July 3, 2025, to voice their opposition to significant education cuts impacting Quebec schools. The presentation highlights growing concerns over the province’s allocation of resources and its potential effects on student services.
Demonstrators unite Against Education Funding Shortfalls
Parents, teachers, students, and concerned citizens marched from Rue de la Reine to the office of Deputy stéphane Sainte-Croix, who was not present. Participants symbolically attached post-it notes to the windows, each bearing the name of a child potentially affected by the impending cuts.
pierre-Luc Synnott, the protest’s organizer and a physical education teacher, believes the cuts demanded from school service centers will inevitably affect students. Synnott, also a local union representative for the Syndicat des travailleurs de l’éducation de l’Est-du-Québec, emphasized that he was marching primarily as an engaged citizen and a father of three.
Did You Know? Quebec’s education system serves over one million students across various levels, from primary to vocational training [[Source: Gouvernement du Québec].
“The support staff assignment session has already been delayed,” Synnott stated. “From what we understand, the school service centers will have to decide where to cut funds. This will ultimately affect student services. Frequently enough,the most vulnerable suffer,along with professionals and educational psychologists. The government is choosing to cut there.”
Massive Budget Restrictions Imposed on Quebec Schools
The Centre de services scolaire des Chic-Chocs recently announced cuts amounting to $4 million. The Centre de services scolaire René-Lévesque faces restrictions of approximately $5.3 million.
“Even if we eliminated all administrative staff, we wouldn’t reach that amount,” Synnott noted. “These are considerable sums, announced at this time of year. Choices will have to be made.”
the Ministry of education is demanding budget restrictions of $570 million for the next year.This has sparked widespread concern and opposition from educators and parents alike.
pro Tip: stay informed about local school board meetings and advocate for your children’s educational needs.
Political Figures Weigh In On Quebec Education Cuts
Méganne Perry Mélançon, the national spokesperson for the Parti Québécois, attended the protest. The former deputy of Gaspé expressed deep concern about the potential repercussions on education.
“the requested cuts will have a real impact on the quality of service for children,especially those with special needs,” perry Mélançon said. “There will likely be job cuts when we need to recruit even more staff so that teachers can do their jobs.Cutting into the education system is abandoning the future of quebec. It’s very concerning and will follow us for a long time.”
Perry Mélançon mentioned that Pascal Bérubé,Deputy of Matane-Matapédia-Mitis,is sponsoring a petition denouncing the budget restrictions. The petition has gathered nearly 140,000 signatures on the National Assembly website, making it the most popular petition currently.
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