Education bill hearings delayed until Feb. 8

CTV Montreal: Education hearings delayed With a new minister, hearings on Bill 86 will only take place on Feb. 8

Hearings on education reform were supposed to begin this past week at the National Assembly, but have been delayed for several more days.

They were delayed because of a cabinet shuffle that made Pierre Moreau the new Education Minister -- and because the minister had a migraine accompanied by a severe drop in blood pressure.

He ended up leaving the National Assembly on a stretcher instead of attending the swearing-in ceremony, although he is feeling better now.

This means the hearings on Bill 86 will now begin on February 8, the day before the new session of the National Assembly.

English school board officials will be watching closely.

They're eager to participate because they say this reform could have a major impact on the English-speaking community.

On Thursday the Quebec English School Boards Association issued a press release saying they're pleased with Moreau's nomination and they're looking forward to "a new openness and a healthy dialogue."