Québec City, June 12, 2014 – The Quebec English School Boards Association (QESBA) welcomes the new positive and collaborative approach the Minister of Education, Recreation and Sports Yves Bolduc has taken towards English school boards and the important place they hold in Quebec.
The Table Québec/Commissions scolaires met yesterday in Québec City just one month after he was named Minster of Education, Recreation and Sports. The agenda was ambitious for a first meeting but was necessary due to files that have been neglected by the former government.
“This table is important for our network. It offers us the opportunity to exchange collaboratively with the Minister and his team — both political and bureaucratic — and in certain cases get the answers that we need, to move forward” said QESBA President David D’Aoust.
The agenda consisted of a discussion on the report from the Groupe d’experts, proposed changes to the collection of school taxes to give taxpayers some relief, school board elections and up-coming budget rules. “We felt that he listened and that this is a positive sign of things to come,” concluded D’Aoust. Although the President noted with dismay the lack of funding to hold school board elections.
QESBA is the voice of the nine English language school boards in Quebec representing some 100,000 students.