Beneath grey November skies, hundreds of passionate Montrealers gathered yesterday outside the Quebec Ministry of Education offices on Fullum Street, their voices rising in unified protest against the government’s sweeping education cuts. As temperatures hovered just above freezing, the determination of parents, teachers, and students burned hot against what many called “unprecedented attacks” on Quebec’s education system.
“I’ve taught for 22 years, and I’ve never seen cuts this severe,” Marie Desjardins told me, her breath visible in the cold air as she clutched a handmade sign reading “Nos enfants méritent mieux” (Our children deserve better). Desjardins teaches at École Saint-Barthélemy in Villeray, where she says class sizes have already increased while support staff positions have vanished.
The protest comes in response to the Coalition Avenir Québec government’s announcement last month that school service centers must trim $250 million from their budgets midway through the academic year. This follows previous reductions totaling nearly $400 million across the education sector earlier in 2024.
Standing amid the crowd, I noticed families with young children hoisted on shoulders, university students passing out flyers, and senior citizens who described themselves as “education defenders.” The diverse gathering reflected Montreal’s uniquely bilingual character, with chants alternating seamlessly between French and English.
Simon Marchand, spokesperson for the Coalition for Quality Public Education, addressed the crowd through a megaphone that occasionally crackled in the cold. “When they cut education, they cut our future,” he declared to enthusiastic applause. “These aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet – these are real impacts on real children.”
According to figures released by the Montreal Teachers Association, the cuts will eliminate approximately 700 positions across Quebec schools, including special education technicians, psychologists, and classroom support staff. Schools in vulnerable neighborhoods are expected to be disproportionately affected.
As a longtime observer of Montreal’s social movements, I’ve witnessed countless protests along these streets, but yesterday’s demonstration carried a unique emotional weight. Parents clutched their children’s hands while describing concrete impacts already felt in classrooms.
“My daughter has dyslexia, and her resource teacher’s hours were just cut in half,” explained Samantha Chen, who traveled from Dorval with her 9-year-old daughter. “Now she gets help once a week instead of twice. How is that progress?”
Education Minister Bernard Drainville has defended the cuts as necessary fiscal management during challenging economic times, stating last week that “administrative efficiencies” would minimize impacts on students. This position was forcefully rejected by protesters, who pointed to Quebec’s $1.9 billion surplus announced in June.
McGill University education professor Dr. Thomas Lamarche, who attended the protest, told me the cuts reflect misaligned priorities rather than economic necessity. “Research consistently shows that investment in education yields significant long-term economic returns,” he explained. “Cutting education to balance budgets is extraordinarily short-sighted.”
The protest remained peaceful throughout its three-hour duration, though tensions rose when demonstrators attempted to deliver a petition with over 75,000 signatures to ministry officials, who initially declined to receive it. After negotiations between protest organizers and security personnel, a representative eventually emerged to accept the document.
Montreal’s characteristic creativity was on full display, with one group of high school students performing a theatrical “funeral for education” complete with a cardboard coffin. Parents pushed strollers decorated with signs asking, “Will there be resources when they reach school age?”
The Quebec Provincial Association of Teachers has announced plans for escalating actions if the government doesn’t reverse course, including possible rotating strikes beginning in January. Union president Heidi Yetman told the crowd, “This is just the beginning of our resistance.”
As the demonstration dispersed in the early afternoon, participants exchanged contact information and planned follow-up community meetings. The emotional investment was palpable – these weren’t just policy disagreements but deeply personal concerns about children’s futures.
Walking back through Mile End afterward, I passed École Saint-Enfant-Jésus, where colorful student artwork adorned windows beside a newly posted notice about reduced library hours. The juxtaposition seemed to perfectly capture the moment: children’s boundless creativity meeting the harsh reality of resource limitations.
For a city that has long prided itself on educational innovation and inclusivity, yesterday’s protest represented more than opposition to budget cuts – it embodied Montreal’s ongoing struggle to define what kind of society we want to build for the next generation.
What happens next remains uncertain, but one thing was clear from yesterday’s demonstration: Montrealers will not quietly accept what they see as an erosion of their children’s educational opportunities. As one especially poignant sign read, “Quand l’éducation coûte cher, essayez l’ignorance” – When education seems expensive, try ignorance.
