‘You can make of statistics anything you want’ - Francine Charbonneau

Last Sunday, Courrier Laval Bilingual Edition disclosed preliminary results of the study conducted by professor Nathalie Houlfort at l’École national de l’administration publique (National School of Public Administration). Of note, the study reveals that more than 50% of the 250 teachers questioned state they are dissatisfied at work, and that 21% claim to have average to poor mental health.

The teachers point the finger in large part at the Reform, lack of resources, integration of students with learning disabilities and absenteeism among administrators.

“You can make of statistics what you want,” is the opinion of Francine Charbonneau, Chair of the CSDL. “The problems outlined, don’t surprise me, but I ask myself about the validity of a study relating to 250 teachers out of the 4000 who work for us.

“But whether the results are accurate or not, we have to take a look at them,” she adds.

“We’re not denying there’s a certain level of fatigue among our teachers, and it's very widespread, especially at this time of the school year. (And) for every dissatisfaction contained in the report, we’re always open to new ideas that could be brought to the table in partnership with the union.”

“The Reform has broad shoulders,” says the CSDL Chairperson. “La Commission scolaire de Laval is presently under fire from the government for being one of the least active school boards in the integration of students. And when Mr. Trempe states we’ve adopted a policy of school closures for economic reasons, he is mistaken. At the elementary level, there’s no shortage of space. At the high school level, a small number of schools lack space, but this is because we have to make changes in the distribution of students, which will be done very soon. This has nothing to do with school closures.”

Photo:Charbonneau

(Photo:Martin Alarie)