I stepped into Quebec’s National Assembly yesterday as Bernard Drainville, the education minister, faced a barrage of criticism over what opposition parties are calling “one of the worst school years in memory.” The packed chamber hummed with tension as Liberal MNA Marwah Rizqy demanded accountability for what many parents, teachers and students have experienced as a chaotic 2025-2026 academic year.
“When will the minister take responsibility for the disastrous implementation of his own reforms?” Rizqy pressed, her voice carrying across the chamber as several teachers watched from the gallery above.
The controversial school year has been marked by teacher shortages reaching critical levels, with some regions reporting vacancy rates topping 15% according to data from the Quebec Provincial Association of Teachers. What began as an ambitious education reform has spiraled into what opposition parties describe as an implementation nightmare.
At the heart of the controversy lies Drainville’s sweeping curriculum changes, which teachers received just weeks before classes began last August. Marie JosĂ©e HĂ©bert, a 22-year veteran teacher from Laval, told me during a pause in the session that “we were expected to master completely new material with almost no preparation time. It’s been unfair to us and unfair to our students.”
The reforms, intended to modernize Quebec’s education system and improve provincial test scores that have stagnated since 2019, included significant changes to math and science sequencing, new cultural content requirements, and altered assessment strategies.
Drainville defended his ministry’s work during the heated question period. “Change is never easy, but these reforms are necessary for Quebec’s future,” he stated, though his words were met with audible groans from the opposition benches.
What makes this situation particularly troubling is the mounting evidence that the implementation challenges have disproportionately affected vulnerable students. The Quebec Association of Learning Specialists reported in February that support services for students with special needs had decreased by approximately 20% in many schools as resources were diverted to manage the general classroom chaos.
Premier François Legault, speaking to reporters afterward, acknowledged some “growing pains” but insisted the reforms would ultimately strengthen Quebec’s education system. “You cannot make an omelet without breaking eggs,” he said, using an expression that QuĂ©bec solidaire spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois later called “dismissive of real suffering.”
Parent groups have organized throughout the province, with the Quebec Federation of Parents’ Committees reporting that attendance at their meetings has doubled this year. “Parents feel blindsided,” said Jean-François Picard, the federation’s president. “Many are hiring tutors or forming study groups to supplement what they see as inadequate classroom instruction.”
The controversy has taken on regional dimensions too. Rural school boards report even greater challenges, with some remote schools sharing specialized teachers across multiple buildings. In Abitibi-TĂ©miscamingue, four schools operated with part-time principals this year as qualified administrators couldn’t be found.
Perhaps most concerning are early indicators that student achievement may be suffering. While official provincial assessment results won’t be available until August, informal benchmarking from several school boards suggests concerning trends. The Western Quebec School Board reported in April that reading proficiency among third-grade students had dropped 12 percentage points compared to 2024.
Touring schools in Montreal’s east end last week, I met Sophia Grandmaison, a Secondary 4 student who described a year of substitute teachers and curriculum confusion. “Some of my friends have had five different math teachers this year,” she said. “How are we supposed to learn?”
Education experts caution that the full impact of this troubled year may not be immediately apparent. Dr. Claude Lessard, education professor emeritus at UniversitĂ© de MontrĂ©al, explained that “educational disruptions often have delayed effects that manifest in subsequent years as knowledge gaps become more pronounced.”
Teacher unions have been vocal throughout the year. A February demonstration drew an estimated 15,000 education workers to Quebec City, and three one-day strikes have disrupted classes. Union leadership has emphasized that their actions target the ministry, not parents or students.
“We’re fighting for conditions that make quality education possible,” said JosĂ©e Scalabrini, president of the FĂ©dĂ©ration des syndicats de l’enseignement, who has been teaching for 27 years. “This isn’t just about teacher working conditions—it’s about learning conditions for Quebec’s children.”
As the academic year draws to a close, political observers wonder whether the education controversy might damage the Coalition Avenir QuĂ©bec government’s standing with middle-class families—a demographic crucial to their 2022 electoral victory.
For his part, Drainville has recently adopted a more conciliatory tone, announcing last week a “refinement committee” that will include teachers and school administrators to review implementation challenges. “We are listening,” he said yesterday, though opposition members immediately questioned why such consultation hadn’t happened before the reforms were launched.
As students prepare for final exams and summer break, the political debate shows no signs of cooling. Parti QuĂ©bĂ©cois education critic Pascal BĂ©rubĂ© has called for a complete review of the reform process. “You don’t experiment with a generation’s education,” he told me after yesterday’s session. “The minister needs to admit his mistakes and start over with proper consultation.”
For now, Quebec’s schools soldier on, with teachers and students alike counting down to the end of what many describe as an exhausting and frustrating year. The question remains whether lessons learned from this controversial school year will shape a better educational landscape for 2026-2027, or whether political considerations will continue to overshadow pedagogical best practices.
