Montreal, Sunday, May 21st 2017 : A month before the end of the parliamentary session, hope is fading for a legislative change that would allow children with precarious immigration status to go to school in the fall.
The Education Across Borders Collective is profoundly concerned by the situation facing hundreds or thousands of children living in Quebec who continue to be excluded from schools. “Every September, the Minister of Education promises that they will act soon, but still nothing has been done. Are they going to tell families to wait another year?” asks Steve Baird, of the Education Across Borders collective.
A motion received unanimous approval of members of the National Assembly this past fall, reiterating that the Law on Public Education would be changed “as quickly as possible.” In March 2017, a bill seeking to solve the problem was introduced by Québec Solidaire. However, Education Minister Sébastien Proulx has yet to indicate whether he intends to act before the end of the parliamentary session.
Meanwhile, Montreal-area politicians have been making colourful statements on the subject. Since the election of Trump, labels of “sanctuary” and “refuge” have become popular, first at the City of Montreal and then at the Commission scolaire de Montréal. These gestures have generated confusion, while offering nothing tangible to people living without status. In this context, the Education Across Borders Collective deplores both the opportunism and inconsistency of some and the inaction of others, and above all, reminds the Minister Proulx of his promises and responsibilities.
The Collective has organized a rally to remind forgetful politicians of the urgency of the situation, and to inform people of the drama that has been unfolding.
What : Rally, political theater, and press point
When : Sunday, May 21st 2017, at 1pm
Where : 1515 Sainte-Catherine street west, Metro Guy-Concordia
Contact information is not included in the online version of this press release.