After having been in the fire of criticisms due to a shortfall estimated at more than half a billion in the education network, where a drop in the quality of services was anticipated by several players in the community, the Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville, turned. A reinvestment of $ 540 million in the network was announced on Wednesday.
Quebec, in the past few weeks, made a process of “revising spending” of school service centers (CSS), Minister Drainville said on the social network X on Wednesday. These were consulted by Quebec following the announcement of their preliminary budget last month.
“The last month enabled us to consult the school organizations and listen to the field. We heard concerns and needs. Today, we act for our students, ”he added.
An envelope of up to $ 540 million is announced for students’ services.
We choose education, we choose our students, without sacrificing the right management.
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— Bernard Drainville (@BDrainvilleQc) July 16, 2025
The elected official thus confirmed, as Radio-Canada had first reported that an envelope of 540 million was released by Quebec to allow schools in the province to provide “direct services to students”.
This amount should only be used for this purpose, “not for something else,” insists the minister.
The general management of the CSS was also met this Wednesday morning to be made to the details of this reinvestment, to which they will have to adapt quickly by carrying out in particular hires in a time which is limited to them before the next school year.
“I imagine that the government will make sure it will really go to students’ services,” reacted to Duty The president of the Federation of Parents of Parents of Quebec, Mélanie Laviolette, who said she was “relieved” by this reversal of situation. “It will allow us to contain the hemorrhage a little and to allow students to have the services they need for their academic success,” she added, while stressing that not all the needs of young people will be met as this amount.
“Not an open bar”
Of the $ 540 million announced this Wednesday, 425 million will be paid into an envelope dedicated to the public network.
“To be entitled to it, each CSS will have to demonstrate that he has made efforts to reduce his administrative expenses,” writes the Minister, who assures that “account redditions will be required” to school organizations. This will be the case in the coming weeks as in October, indicates to the Duty the minister’s office.
“Let’s be clear: it is not an open bar,” wrote the elected official, who expects the CSS to continue to make efforts to limit their expenses. Certain school organizations have notably, in the last months, grouped part of their administrative services with those of other CSS, a practice as a Quebec encouraging.
A sum of 29 million will also go to private schools, while the rest of the envelope, or 86 million, will allow certain CSS to have growth in the number of their employees higher this year that the maximum rate of 2 % set by Quebec. This will allow them to carry out the necessary hires to meet their special needs, in particular the rapid increase in the number of students on their territory, Estem Québec.
“Very concretely, all CSS see their budget increase,” adds the minister.
Strong popular pressure
When revealing its budgetary rules last month, the ministry asked the centers of school service to reduce their expenses by $ 570 million for the next year to comply with the budget of 23.5 billion in education adopted last March.
This news then raised many waves in the network, encouraging hundreds of parents worried to demonstrate in different regions of Quebec to denounce the apprehended effects of these budgetary restrictions on the services offered to many students, in particular those experiencing learning difficulties.
“We went to a wall,” summed up the Duty Wednesday the liberal MP Madwa-Nika Cadet, who said he was relieved to note that this “unprecedented mobilization” brought fruit.
A petition, launched by PQ deputy Pascal Bérubé, pressing Quebec to “do not carry out budgetary restrictions in education” in order to prevent “direct services from students” to receive more than 157,000 signatures in three weeks.
The PQ deputy also sees in the reinvestment announced on Wednesday a “direct consequence” of this vast popular mobilization, which should not cease, according to him. “For the moment, I see it as an intention,” he told Dutyabout this envelope of 540 million. “We will have to see how applied in each CSS” and make sure that “the services are rendered” to the students of the province, he added.
“The decline of Bernard Drainville on the education cuts proves that the mobilization is worth it. On the other hand, it is a shame that it takes a lifting of shields so that the CAQ understands that its cuts are a bad decision and penalize the most vulnerable students, ”reacted the solidarity deputy Ruba Ghazal.
