Michelle Courchesne returns as Minister of Education

But there is a change of sorts for Mrs. Courchesne, as she will be concentrating exclusively on the MELS Ministry, giving up her previous role as Family Minister, with Tony Tomassi inheriting the responsibility of looking after Family Affairs for the Charest government.

In a press release issued just hours after Mrs. Courchesne’s appointment, FSE president Manon Bernard wasted little time insisting that “some major issues need immediate attention, starting with the integration of special needs students in regular classes.” As well, the election campaign commitment to reduce class sizes needs to be implemented as fast as possible, she added.

André Caron, president of the FCSQ) - Fédération des commissions scolaires du Québec (regrouping French School Boards), congratulated Mrs. Courchesne and offered the expertise and collaboration of his organization to the returning minister. “A FCSQ-MELS partnership, with constructive criticism at heart, is indispensable,” he said. In his view, “the minister’s experience and her grasp of the major issues represent the wherewithal to meet the numerous challenges in education.” Mr. Caron points to the urgency of giving public schools their due by guaranteeing necessary funding and promoting the advantages of staying in school.

The Fédération des cégeps, which also welcomed Mrs. Courchesne’s re-appointment, expressed its willingness to resume collaborating with the Minister, picking up where the partnership had left off before the election was called. Gaetan Boucher, the federation’s president and director-general, quickly let it be known that continuing education and technical training are at the top of his list of measures to counteract the shortage of qualified workers. “With the economic issues facing Quebec, it’s crucial that Cégeps be given all the ways and means necessary for the training of young people and adults.”