Montreal, October 19, 2017 – The Quebec English School Boards Association (QESBA) is disappointed with the change in attitude of the Minister of Education, Recreation and Sports, Sébastien Proulx, regarding home-schooled students and Bill 101.
There are implications that the proposed Bill 144 is opening a door to bypassing Bill 101 for parents who wish to homeschool their children in English. This is completely false and misleading. The current laws allow parents to choose the educational support system they deem appropriate, and up until now, it has in no way had an adverse impact on the system, nor has it provided an advantage to the English school boards as it has not resulted in a significant increase in number of students.
“Bill 101 was never a question with home-schooling until now. It has never impacted our numbers, and represents 1% of our entire enrolment, which includes our Hasidic student population. These parents have elected to homeschool their children, and they should be 100% comfortable with the resources they need to succeed. Bill 101 does not apply to private schools, therefore by default, homeschooling should be exempt,” declared Jennifer Maccarone, President of QESBA.
QESBA fully expects the Minister will make the right decision regarding Bill 101 and homeschooling by maintaining his original position and respecting the current law.
QESBA is the voice of English public education in Québec and represents 100,000 students in 340 elementary, high schools, and adult and vocational centres across Québec.