FAE wants $4.6 billion redirected to public schools

School supplies are seen in a classroom on the first day back to school at an elementary school in Montreal, Aug. 29, 2024. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi)

The Fédération autonome de l’enseignement (FAE) says the Quebec government should consider redirecting $4.6 billion in funds to the education system to “repair public schools.”

These funds could be drawn primarily from the Generations Fund and a reform of the school tax, argued the FAE during a press conference on Monday in Montreal.

FAE President Mélanie Hubert pointed out that the Generations Fund has already been used by the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government to grant tax cuts.

She insisted that it would be an acceptable use of the funds to aid the public education system for generations to come.

The union is also calling on the government to reform the school tax system, arguing that reductions already granted have deprived the government of valuable revenue.

It said that it is not specifically calling for a reversal of the cuts or an increase in the tax, but adds that it could be possible to revise the tax structure while respecting taxpayers’ ability to pay.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on April 20, 2026.