Quebec teachers and support staff demand focus on education funding in election campaign

Teachers, school professionals, and support staff are demanding that Quebec's political parties make education a centerpiece of the upcoming election campaign, citing critical shortages and chronic underfunding across the province.

CSQ President Éric Gingras, whose three federations represent education workers, called on politicians to "have the courage" to acknowledge that the education system is in crisis and commit to reinvestment. The union made the appeal Monday as part of its traditional back-to-school press conference, days before students return to class.

The timing is stark: teacher positions remain unfilled across Quebec elementary and secondary schools, with the school year about to start. Beyond the staffing crisis, the CSQ identified a constellation of problems: funding gaps, heavy workloads, job insecurity, staff retention and recruitment failures, workplace violence, digital technology integration challenges, and crumbling infrastructure.

"We need to put education back at the centre of our political priorities," Gingras said.

The union is renewing its demand for a national education conference bringing together stakeholders to develop a comprehensive 15- to 20-year education plan. The last such conference took place in 1995—more than three decades ago. Gingras framed the demand as urgent, arguing that any incoming government must have a roadmap for sustainable education policy rather than piecemeal responses to annual crises.

The CSQ's position signals that education will be a contested election issue. Previous HOC coverage has documented broader challenges in the province's education system, including language policy debates at CEGEPs. With the election campaign beginning imminently, the union's public push for political commitments reflects escalating pressure on whichever party takes power next.