Tabled  on June 9, this bill replaces Bill 86¹.

With this new bill, the government is abandoning the idea of revisiting the organization and governance of the school boards and is only marginally amending the powers of the Governing Board. However, what worries us is that the Bill continues to advocate decentralization.

The Bill again calls for the creation of a resource allocation committee consisting primarily of school administrations and maintains the principle by which the smallest entity possible (the schools) would be responsible for the services to offer.

Through a change in budgetary rules, the Bill also stipulates that certain measures determined by the minister be “intended for a transfer to the budget of educational institutions.” This practice is already in effect in the budgetary rules for 2016–2017.

For the FPPE, it is clear that school boards must provide the public with professional services and ensure a centralized organization in order to foster the equitable allocation and coherence of such services.

In February 2016, the Federation made representations in this regard during the parliamentary committee on Bill 86. On September 21, the Federation will reiterate its concerns and present recommendations, together with the CSQ, to the parliamentary committee.
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¹An Act to modify the organization and governance of school boards to give schools a greater say in decision-making and ensure parents’ presence within each school board’s decision-making body

By Sophie Massé,
Vice President