Abolishing school boards could pose a threat to education: research institute

Analysis: School boards improve education Eve-Lyne Couturier of IRIS explains why abolishing school boards will hurt education

MONTREAL -- The Quebec government needs to review its proposed school board reform, insists a Quebec research institute.

The Institut de recherche et d'informations socio-économiques (IRIS) is denouncing a centralization of power under Education Minister Jean-François Roberge, saying Bill 40 excludes parents and only brings in a minuscule amount of financial savings – about $13 million.

It emphasizes that paying school commissioners, as well as the costs of the entire electoral process, represent just 0.1 per cent of a school board’s annual budget.

Low participation in school elections, IRIS argues, is partly due to vagueness about their ‘raison d'être.’

Commissioners do not have the power to modulate school taxes, and not many voters know the issues they are debating, researcher Eve-Lyne Couturier says; Commissioners are often seen as administrators rather than political representatives of their community.

In order to boost participation in elections, IRIS proposes simplifying the process; for example, by combining school and municipal elections or by allowing electronic voting.

The research institute claims the government should aim to increase the democratization of school governance and improved the transparency of school boards rather than eliminate them.

It also criticizes the government for wanting to give itself greater control over the boards, including communication and personnel management.

IRIS claims the proposed changes are similar to the reforms in the health and social service networks, going well beyond its commitment to transform school boards into service centres.