Showdown between Minister Roberge and a group of education experts
The credibility of Quebec teacher training programs is being tested: a battle is between the Minister of Education, Jean-François Roberge, and a committee of experts who denounce political interference aimed at training teachers at full speed to remedy the shortage of staff in schools.
In recent months, Minister Roberge has approved four short training programs for future teachers without waiting for the opinion of a committee of experts — or even against the unfavourable opinion of that committee, in one of these cases. Mr Roberge justified these decisions by the urgency of taking action to prevent classes from being left without a holder.
Last June, the Minister ended the mandate of marc-André Éthier, chair of the Comité d'agrément des programmes de formation à l'enseignement (CAPFE), a professor in the Faculty of Education at the Université de Montréal.
This tug-of-war between the minister and a group of experts provoked heated debates in the education community, which feared that "insufficient" training would be given to future teachers. A prominent member of CAPFE, Professor Jean Bernatchez of the Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR), has decided not to renew his mandate on the committee as of August 22.
According to what Le Devoir has learned, other members are considering leaving if they do not get convincing explanations from Minister Roberge. The committee suspended its work in June due to the tense climate with the Minister of Education.
"We are a little stunned by this whole story," summarizes Liliane Binggeli, vice-president of CAPFE. In a letter sent on August 4 to Minister Roberge, she denounced "an already too long list of decisions that undermine the credibility of CAPFE, that harm its work and that slow down the projects of universities regarding the development and improvement of teacher training programs."
Ms. Binggeli argues that the committee "conducts its work in a rigorous, conscientious, impartial manner and with the sole concern of ensuring that all accredited programs are of quality, which is an essential condition for the enhancement of the teaching profession."
For these reasons, capfe had given in February 2021 an unfavorable opinion to the establishment of a qualifying master's degree in preschool and primary education at the University of Montreal. The program was considered valid,
but CAPFE had identified deficiencies that needed to be addressed.
Program AdjustmentMinister Roberge still authorized the 60-credit program — the equivalent of half of
the four-year bachelor's degree in teaching — citing a shortage of professors.
He also asked UdeM to adjust the program to meet CAPFE's concerns. "We said: very well, let's recognize it as a qualifying training by giving the University the obligation to make the necessary corrections," said Minister Roberge in an interview with Le Devoir at the end of June.
"We have a shortage of teachers there! We do not live in the theoretical world. In the real world, we need qualified teachers in our classes, and I look to our universities to qualify them. I trust our university network. We want people who have at least a bachelor's degree and who enroll in a graduate degree. It's not just anything: we're talking about a master's degree in pedagogy. The vast majority of teachers will still go through the four-year baccalaureate, but multiplying the access routes without lowering the requirements, it seems to me that in times of shortage it is something that should be welcomed, "he added.
Similarly, the Minister of Education approved earlier this year the implementation of qualifying master's degrees in teaching at TELUQ and the Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT) without even waiting for CAPFE's opinion.
"From the moment that what we do is not considered, if our critical and analytical gaze is not required, we will do something else else. It is greatly demobilizing for people who volunteer," Professor Jean Bernatchez, who resigned from CAPFE, told Le Devoir.
Credibility questionedDeans of faculties of education are also concerned about the tensions surrounding CAPFE, which they say "undermine the credibility of the process" of accrediting teacher training programs. "It's legal [to ignore CAPFE's recommendations], but this is the first time a minister has done this since CAPFE was founded in 1992," says Jean Bélanger, president of the Association des doyens, et directeurs, directeurs pour l'étude et la recherche en éducation au Québec (ADEREQ).
"We are deeply concerned about the current situation, as the accreditation process is an important foundation for ensuring the quality of current and future programs and their credibility with both the community and the public," he wrote in a Letter dated July 5 to Minister Roberge. The deans are calling for a meeting with the minister to resolve the impasse.
Jean Bélanger considers "necessary" the independent work of CAPFE, even if the deans of faculties of education sometimes find it "annoying" to make the corrections requested by the group of experts.
Capfe Vice-President Liliane Binggeli is calling for Marc-André Éthier to be reinstated as Chair of the Committee because of the "quality of his work" and his willingness to continue. It also requested two legal opinions from the Minister of Education, relating
in particular to the term of office of the members.
"The process of renewing the capfe presidency is underway," said Audrey Noiseux, press secretary to the Minister of Education.
Mr. Roberge said he could not renew the mandate of Mr. Éthier, who arrived at CAPFE in 2018, but the committee's experts found the example of a former member, André Dolbec, who served seven years on CAPFE, including six years as president (two three-year terms).
Last June, the Minister ended the mandate of marc-André Éthier, chair of the Comité d'agrément des programmes de formation à l'enseignement (CAPFE), a professor in the Faculty of Education at the Université de Montréal.
This tug-of-war between the minister and a group of experts provoked heated debates in the education community, which feared that "insufficient" training would be given to future teachers. A prominent member of CAPFE, Professor Jean Bernatchez of the Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR), has decided not to renew his mandate on the committee as of August 22.
According to what Le Devoir has learned, other members are considering leaving if they do not get convincing explanations from Minister Roberge. The committee suspended its work in June due to the tense climate with the Minister of Education.
"We are a little stunned by this whole story," summarizes Liliane Binggeli, vice-president of CAPFE. In a letter sent on August 4 to Minister Roberge, she denounced "an already too long list of decisions that undermine the credibility of CAPFE, that harm its work and that slow down the projects of universities regarding the development and improvement of teacher training programs."
Ms. Binggeli argues that the committee "conducts its work in a rigorous, conscientious, impartial manner and with the sole concern of ensuring that all accredited programs are of quality, which is an essential condition for the enhancement of the teaching profession."
For these reasons, capfe had given in February 2021 an unfavorable opinion to the establishment of a qualifying master's degree in preschool and primary education at the University of Montreal. The program was considered valid,
but CAPFE had identified deficiencies that needed to be addressed.
Program AdjustmentMinister Roberge still authorized the 60-credit program — the equivalent of half of
the four-year bachelor's degree in teaching — citing a shortage of professors.
He also asked UdeM to adjust the program to meet CAPFE's concerns. "We said: very well, let's recognize it as a qualifying training by giving the University the obligation to make the necessary corrections," said Minister Roberge in an interview with Le Devoir at the end of June.
"We have a shortage of teachers there! We do not live in the theoretical world. In the real world, we need qualified teachers in our classes, and I look to our universities to qualify them. I trust our university network. We want people who have at least a bachelor's degree and who enroll in a graduate degree. It's not just anything: we're talking about a master's degree in pedagogy. The vast majority of teachers will still go through the four-year baccalaureate, but multiplying the access routes without lowering the requirements, it seems to me that in times of shortage it is something that should be welcomed, "he added.
Similarly, the Minister of Education approved earlier this year the implementation of qualifying master's degrees in teaching at TELUQ and the Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT) without even waiting for CAPFE's opinion.
"From the moment that what we do is not considered, if our critical and analytical gaze is not required, we will do something else else. It is greatly demobilizing for people who volunteer," Professor Jean Bernatchez, who resigned from CAPFE, told Le Devoir.
Credibility questionedDeans of faculties of education are also concerned about the tensions surrounding CAPFE, which they say "undermine the credibility of the process" of accrediting teacher training programs. "It's legal [to ignore CAPFE's recommendations], but this is the first time a minister has done this since CAPFE was founded in 1992," says Jean Bélanger, president of the Association des doyens, et directeurs, directeurs pour l'étude et la recherche en éducation au Québec (ADEREQ).
"We are deeply concerned about the current situation, as the accreditation process is an important foundation for ensuring the quality of current and future programs and their credibility with both the community and the public," he wrote in a Letter dated July 5 to Minister Roberge. The deans are calling for a meeting with the minister to resolve the impasse.
Jean Bélanger considers "necessary" the independent work of CAPFE, even if the deans of faculties of education sometimes find it "annoying" to make the corrections requested by the group of experts.
Capfe Vice-President Liliane Binggeli is calling for Marc-André Éthier to be reinstated as Chair of the Committee because of the "quality of his work" and his willingness to continue. It also requested two legal opinions from the Minister of Education, relating
in particular to the term of office of the members.
"The process of renewing the capfe presidency is underway," said Audrey Noiseux, press secretary to the Minister of Education.
Mr. Roberge said he could not renew the mandate of Mr. Éthier, who arrived at CAPFE in 2018, but the committee's experts found the example of a former member, André Dolbec, who served seven years on CAPFE, including six years as president (two three-year terms).
