Unions Highlight Challenges Faced by Education Professionals in Regional School Service Centers

Unions representing education professionals in the region paint a bleak portrait of the education environment in the four school service centers (CSS) in our regions.

According to a survey carried out by the Federation of Education Professionals of Quebec (FPPEQ) among members of the Phares and Monts-et-Marées school service centers, 43% of professionals are considering leaving the school environment for a reason other than retirement, mainly due to lack of recognition.

This survey was conducted in June among 87 professionals who occupy positions, among others, as psychoeducators, psychologists, special education specialists and speech therapists.

: ”I want to leave because I am alone in my school, I want to leave because my service center is impervious to the recommendations and solutions we want to provide””,”text”:” I have people who tell me: ”I want to leave because I am alone in my school, I want to leave because my service center is impervious to the recommendations and solutions we want to provide”””>I have people who tell me: “I want to leave because I am alone in my school, I want to leave because my service center is impervious to the recommendations and solutions we want to provide.”explains the president of the Federation of Education Professionals of Bas-Saint-Laurent, Jacques Belles-Isles.

The well-being of children is part of why we do this job and currently, what makes the distress so great is that we are not capable of fulfilling the mandate.

A little further east, the situation seems less alarming in the CSS of Kamouraska–Rivière-du-Loup and Fleuve-et-des-Lacs, where the unions recognize improvements in working conditions. However, one in 10 professionals would consider leaving their job among the 30 people who responded to the survey.

Overload of work and lack of services for students

The survey also reveals that 7 out of 10 education professionals in Bas-Saint-Laurent consider themselves overworked, mainly because they have too many mandates to accomplish and too many students or colleagues to support.

Around ten positions are still unfilled in the CSS des Phares and Monts-et-Marées and four for the CSS of Kamouraska–Rivière-du-Loup and Fleuve-et-des-Lacs.

The unions also deplore the increase in the number of students with major learning difficulties, with special needs or affected by a school intervention plan.

All of this takes people to support. We have teachers who are suffering and have an increasing workload on their shoulders. says the president of the SPGP-CSQJohanne Gingras.

At the provincial level, negotiations are underway for the renewal of the collective agreement. Remuneration, the organization of work or the establishment of a minimum threshold of services are among the demands to improve working conditions.