Montreal, September 21, 2023 – The Quebec English School Boards Association (QESBA) deplores the lengthy wait times at the Ministry of Education for students to obtain their eligibility certificates to attend English schools.
This has been a problem for some time, but this year’s situation is dramatic. More than 400 students in the Greater Montréal area alone are sitting at home waiting to receive their eligibility certificates three weeks into the new school year.
“Hundreds of students are in limbo at home waiting for authorization to attend English schools. The Ministry must immediately add the necessary resources to clear this backlog. Students are being deprived of their right to attend English school because of bureaucratic constraints,” said QESBA Executive Director Russell Copeman.
School boards have developed an expertise on eligibility and the QESBA estimates that the majority of these admission cases are clearcut and could be resolved rapidly, were it not for this backlog.
QESBA is the voice of English public education in Québec and represents 100,000 students in over 300 elementary, high schools, and adult and vocational centres across Québec.