Montreal, January 13, 2015 – The Quebec English School Boards Association (QESBA) is very concerned with the declaration made by the Mayor of Montreal Denis Coderre yesterday regarding the management of school board properties. Mayor Coderre made this statement yesterday following an announcement made by interim Projet Montreal chief Luc Ferrandez regarding merging municipal and school board services.
School Boards are democratically elected representatives of the English community. It is our inherent right to govern and defend the cultural heritage that belongs to the English-speaking community. “Our education system is one of the best in the world, school boards manage buildings and transportation efficiently to the ultimate benefit of the student,” said QESBA President David D’Aoust. “There is an old expression, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it…” continued D’Aoust.
School boards have buildings and maintenance departments that ensure the proper management of buildings and the state of our buildings are second to none. “Some of our buildings are a clear part of our community heritage and we are best placed to ensure their maintenance and survival,” continued D’Aoust. “For someone to decide that they know what’s best for our schools and students is concerning.”
“English Boards have always collaborated with our municipal partners. Exchange of services already occurs on a regular basis. For example our students use arenas or soccer fields and municipalities use our facilities for the various activities that they offer to the citizens,” concluded D’Aoust.