The FPSS-CSQ and the FPPE-CSQ are alarmed by the serious impacts on student rights and the quality of educational services



30 June 2025
Education Cuts: Complaint Filed with the Québec Ombudsman
Faced with the scale and brutality of the budget cuts imposed on the public school system since 2024, the Fédération du personnel de soutien scolaire (FPSS–CSQ) and the Fédération du personnel professionnel de l’éducation (FPPE–CSQ) are filing a joint complaint with the Québec Ombudsman to denounce the direct consequences of these decisions on student rights, the quality of educational services, and the very mission of public schools.
In this complaint, the two federations assert that the budgetary restrictions imposed by the Quebec government and the Ministry of Education—estimated at more than $1.6 billion between July 2024 and June 2025—have caused a major disruption in the system’s ability to meet its legal obligations to students.
“The government is putting school service centers in a budgetary bind, then forcing them to meet unrealistic targets without providing them with the resources to do so. This is a dangerous step backward for the right to quality public education,” said Éric Pronovost, President of the FPSS–CSQ. “Hiring freezes, massive cuts, and a ban on using surplus funds: all of this has a concrete impact on services provided to students, particularly those with special needs.”
The government is demanding that school organizations fall into line and will reduce its cuts for those that successfully meet the targets.
The situation for professional staff is equally worrying. “Already in 2022, the Québec Ombudsman highlighted inequitable access to complementary services offered to students. By choosing to cut education, the government is no longer able to ensure that all students will have access to the professional services they need to succeed and, in doing so, is violating the Education Act. Vulnerable students will be the first to pay the price,” emphasized Carolane Desmarais, President of the FPPE–CSQ.
The complaint also highlights that several educational institutions are in critical physical condition, some even being infested with insects, or with signs of dilapidation well above acceptable standards. Despite this, the budget for infrastructure maintenance has been reduced from $1 billion to $100 million for the 2025–2026 school year.
The filing of this complaint seeks:
- The opening of an investigation into the consequences of the cutbacks and hiring freeze.
- A public intervention by the Québec Ombudsman with the Ministry of Education.
- Formal recommendations to ensure compliance with legal obligations.
- A special report or a dedicated chapter in the annual report on the state of the public services system.
The FPSS-CSQ and the FPPE-CSQ are calling for an end to budget cuts in education. “The Minister himself has stated that he can no longer guarantee that every student will receive what they need. This is unacceptable. Education is not a privilege, it is a right,” conclude Mr. Pronovost and Ms. Desmarais.