Children’s well-being at the focus of our actions

Dear parents,

With Patrick Gravel, winner of the Order of the Federation.

It was a real pleasure to meet committed parents from all over Quebec at the June 1st festivities in Saguenay, to promote their achievements and to celebrate with them. We’re very fortunate to have so many school and community partners present at our event.

With the Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville, at the FCPQ General Council.

I’d like to share below my message for the FCPQ’s 2023-2024 annual report, which is a retrospective of my first months as president.

I wish you all a wonderful end to the school year!

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Dear parents,

The well-being of our youth was the focus of our concerns and actions in 2023-2024. The Federation spoke up about issues as diverse as school violence, screen time, safety on the way to school, youth work, school food programs, quality of life for families and access to services. We brought the voice of parents to the media, to our meetings and events with the Minister of Education, the Ministry and our partners in the education network.

Once again, we experienced major challenges in the school community this year. Students missed from a few days to a few weeks of school in the fall during staff strikes, which led to a spike in media coverage, including a statement by delegates from the FCPQ General Council. All players in the school community then mobilized to ensure student success, with the implementation of the catch-up plan.

Throughout the year, we have been concerned about violence and bullying in schools, and have called for more action to prevent it and protect students. Although there is still no framework law to address sexual violence in the school environment, new measures have been put in place with the appointment of the National Student Ombudsman and additions to the Education Act. These are steps in the right direction.

We have tabled recommendations on four bills, one on school governance and three on aspects of the safety of our youth: the regulation of work by children, the reinforcement of student protection and the amendment of road safety, especially around schools.

One guideline bound the parents’ recommendations on these legislative proposals: the well-being and success of children must always take precedence over other considerations.

My first year as president of the Federation is almost over, and it has been rich in encounters and learning. My goal is to promote the role of parents in education and the positive influence they can have on student success.

To achieve this goal, I’ve talked a lot about the importance of knowing and respecting each person’s role in education. Parents have a great responsibility in their children’s development, whether by encouraging them to persevere, by listening to them, by speaking positively about school, by being role models and guides for them in learning respect and good life habits.

I’d like to help motivate every parent to get involved in education to the extent that they can. The foundations have been laid, and I intend to continue working with Quebec’s parents’ committees and all school partners to promote education. 

Thanks for this first year, let’s keep going!

Mélanie Laviolette
President