Future teachers angry with Quebec

While the education community is in turmoil more than ever because of the pandemic, university students who are on internship have still not obtained the scholarship they are owed. Future teachers denounce the inaction of the provincial government.

A support grant of $ 3,900 doesn’t change the world, but for these teaching interns, it’s crucial.

“It helps us pay several expenses, our apartment, the grocery store, the tuition fees,” explains William Brochu, a final year student at Laval University, currently on an internship.

This year, Bachelor of Education students are still waiting for it. It is because the government is slow to put the new digital form online, usually available from September.

“We have no response from the government, no date, we are not told anything,” laments Sarah Robinson-Arsenault of the Association of Secondary Education Students at Laval University.

As the 15-week full-time internship is unpaid, financial precariousness increases among future teachers, who must go into debt.

“It is an additional stress that we did not need, especially since we are ready to help and stay in the field with the pandemic context,” says Stéphanie Bédard, teaching intern.

“The high school education community is under pressure right now, there is a shortage of staff and we are being asked to work harder because of COVID,” adds his colleague William Brochu.

At the cabinet of the Ministry of Higher Education, we are told that they are sensitive to the concerns of these students and want to settle this administrative delay as quickly as possible. However, no date has been put forward.

“It tells us that it is improvisation currently in education when we need stability,” said Josée Scalabrini, president of the Federation of Teaching Unions.

Added to this are computer failures reported in two service centers in the province and retirees returning to classes who have still not been paid.

“If we want to keep our retirees on the ground, let’s take care of them,” she concludes.