Quebec education minister has no plans to change three-tier school system

Education Minister Sonia LeBel during question period on October 1, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

Quebec’s new education minister, Sonia LeBel, says she has no plans to change what’s often called the province’s “three-tier school system,” following the approach of her predecessor, Bernard Drainville.

The term refers to a structure that reinforces inequality — with private schools at the top, selective public schools offering special programs, and then regular public schools, which tend to be less popular.

LeBel made her position clear in a statement sent to The Canadian Press on Tuesday. Her office declined a request for an interview.

“Private schools complement public schools. They do not replace them, but they are part of them and share the same goal: student success,” said the minister.

“It is up to families to choose what suits them best. We must not pit the two against each other. We must all work together toward the same goal. That is what we are doing,” she added.

For years, experts have criticized Quebec’s three-tiered education system, arguing that the most gifted and affluent students are increasingly opting for private schools.

As a result, students with special needs are overrepresented in regular public schools — leaving teachers overwhelmed, critics say.

In a 2016 report, the Conseil supérieur de l’éducation (Higher Education Council) described Quebec’s school system as the most unequal in Canada.

And in 2020, sociologist and former Parent Commission member Guy Rocher called the three-tiered structure “a human waste” in an interview with La Presse.

“(It’s) unacceptable. We are very far from the goal of social equality that we set for ourselves,” he said at the time.

A 2022 University of Toronto study also found Quebec had the highest level of segregation between students from high socioeconomic backgrounds and the general school population.

That study — titled Won’t You Be My Neighbour? Socio-Economic Segregation Between Schools in Canada — was cited in a July 2025 Australian report that praised Ontario’s model instead.

Unlike Quebec, Ontario does not subsidize private schools, which makes them largely inaccessible to the middle class. Nor does it allow selective admissions in public schools.

The issue often sparks debate in the National Assembly. In 2023, the Parti Québécois proposed entering into agreements with private schools that agreed to stop selecting students. Those that refused would see their government funding gradually phased out.

Under that plan, all publicly funded schools would offer specialized programs free of charge, without excluding students based on selection criteria.

Québec solidaire also introduced Bill 895 last February, developed in partnership with the L’École ensemble movement. The bill proposes bringing together public and private schools that agree to eliminate academic selection into a single network.

Meanwhile, the Federation of Private Educational Institutions continues to support the status quo.

In an interview with The Canadian Press, the organization noted that private schools now admit 20 per cent of students with learning difficulties — up from just 5 per cent a few years ago.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Oct. 14, 2025.

By Caroline Plante, The Canadian Press