Montreal, August 11, 2021 - The English Parents’ Committee Association (EPCA) welcomes the announcement of a more normal return to school this year. However, questions remain.

School is also a social net for young people; however, we recognize that steps must be taken to make sure that reopening the schools is done in a safe way. Services to students including tutoring and mental health services must be offered to all students in need, with easy access.  

Students have had difficulties during the pandemic, not only on an academic level, but also on a social and personal level. That is why the announcement of additional liaison officers to contact dropouts is welcome. 

One of the significant concerns of EPCA is the fact that neither parents nor school staff were given directives on what to do if an outbreak or a single case occurs in their school. It is essential for parents to be well informed so that they can act quickly, without having to search for information when they need it. 

As well, the implementation of an immunization passport in high schools in order to participate in certain extracurricular activities that are deemed high-risk is worrisome. No details have been provided in regard to what constitutes a “high-risk” activity, nor about considerations for students who will not be able to participate. We know the role that these activities have in motivating young people and we eagerly await additional information on the topic. 

 "We were hoping to get a solid picture of how the next school year would be run. Today’s announcement does provide some guidance, but not enough to answer all parental concerns and questions,’” said Katherine Korakakis, President of EPCA.  

EPCA is looking forward to receiving additional information on the impending return to school.

Montreal, Wednesday, June 2, 2021 — It is with reservations that the English Parents’ Committee Association (EPCA) receives the government's announcement today of the measures to be put in place for the start of the next school year. EPCA is very concerned about what this means for the children in the English-language school system given that it doesn’t appear to address all parental concerns about back to school.

“Getting to a new ‘normal’ is what everyone wants, but this should not be done without due consideration of all variables. There are no plans in place for vaccinations of students under the age of 12. What the Minister announced today is a full return to what was considered normal before the pandemic, which is problematic and unachievable in the near future,” explains Katherine Korakakis President of EPCA.

Although it is good news that high school student would return to normal if a 75% vaccinations rate are achieved, the province’s plan does not reflect significant concerns is lacking an achievable plan for students under 12, taking into consideration the fact that vaccinations for this age group have not yet been approved. The fact that this is not addressed leaves parents feeling like there is no strategy for this group other than to hope that all goes well. The thought of going back to the improvised decision-making by the government that we have had to endure for the previous fifteen months is deeply troubling. “Parents have had a hard fifteen months filled with anxiety. The uncertainty inherent in this plan, particularly the fact that there is no specific consideration for unvaccinated students under 12, does not help ease that anxiety,” concludes Ms. Korakakis. 

EPCA learned about these new provisions for the start of the 2021 school year from the media (in contradiction to what the Minister claimed this morning). As such, EPCA now calls upon the government to exercise caution and not to forget about the past fifteen months and return to schools as if the pandemic did not happen. Experiences over the past fifteen months must be considered and precise plans need to be put in place that consider all of the variables and possibilities. EPCA will continue to remain vigilant and work with parents and the educational system to ensure Anglophone children – and those looking after them in schools – remain safe.

For more information or for media contacts: 
Email: President@epcaquebec.org | Cell phone: 514 668-8672  

(January 28, 2021 – Montreal) The English Parents’ Committee Association (EPCA)is outraged that English students are not being considered in the government’s plan for new tutoring services.

EPCA welcomed the announcement by Education Minister Jean-François Roberge concerning new investments in tutoring for the Quebec student population in this difficult period. This included provisions for new services and platforms organized and offered through school service centres and school boards.

This may be good news, but only for part of the population. There is also significant funding announced for existing services such as Alloprof, which offer quality services to its clientele, but does not offer the services required by Quebec's English student population.

The province’s sole government-funded tutoring resource, LEARN-Québec, has not been included in any similar funding announcement.

“This is most troubling, especially given the fact that LEARN has increased its registrations by more than 200 percent since March 2020,” says EPCA president Katherine Korakakis. “It has reached a breaking point, and they have had to shut down registration for elementary school services just weeks before the next report cards are due, when we expect a significant spike in demand. LEARN is continuing with registrations for high school students, but it can currently take up to four weeks to get a tutor.

This is wholly unacceptable.”

It seems that the English community’s needs are an afterthought, and EPCA is awaiting a correction to this clear oversight of the need to support Quebec’s English-speaking youth.

“It is intolerable that during the most vulnerable era in recent history for Quebec students, these needs have been neglected” says Korakakis. “EPCA insists that anglophone students be given equal consideration, and without delay. We expect, and will accept, nothing less.”

Québec, January 8, 2021 - The English Parents’ Committee Association acknowledges the announcements made by Education Minister Jean-François Roberge today regarding the return to school, along with numerous new support and hygiene measures.

Measures to reduce the weighting of the first report cards will give them less prominence in the students’ overall annual academic record. As it is generally expected that there will be large numbers of report cards reflecting academic difficulties with many students this year, the announced delay and weighting adjustment are worthwhile measures, albeit no panacea, nor much more than cosmetic.

What Quebec parents are clearly asking for is specific information on their children's progress, or lack thereof. A simple number along with possibly vague and standardized, repetitive comments will no longer suffice, particularly during this unprecedented period.

Our children are experiencing exceptional difficulties, and it is imperative that parents have a precise and global portrait of their children's academic accomplishments and challenges, to help them move forward in this difficult year. Parents need to know where their children are at in terms of learning, and it is time for their report cards to reflect that, an initiative that should be implemented and maintained moving forward.

The announcement of a tutoring regime is welcomed, and we expect that this responsibility – handed to the school boards – will be fulfilled rapidly and effectively. We also laud the development of a mobile app to assist students with psychosocial support, an established and increasingly alarming concern.

These measures and initiatives are only effective insofar as they are accessible to, and welcomed by, our children. The rollout of any such tools must be done simultaneously in English and French. On several occasions over the last year, anglophone students have had to wait for equivalent consideration. As EPCA clearly communicated to the Education Ministry today, such a two-tier system will no longer be acceptable. Our children are worthy of identical consideration as others, and we expect this reality to be acknowledged. This is non-negotiable.

Since the earliest days of the pandemic and hygiene measures in schools, we have also made clear our position favoring masks for all. The announcement that students in Grades 5 and 6 will be required to wear masks is a positive one, but we question why they will not be required to wear three-ply procedural masks. Nor do we understand why they will not be supplied with two such masks per day as will be secondary students. This should be addressed in time for elementary students’ return on January 11.