Massive and Spontaneous Support for the Petition Denouncing the Government’s Budget Cuts
2 October 2025
Education Budget Cuts
The “Demande de ne pas procéder à des restrictions budgétaires en education” received a record number of signatures for the current and previous legislatures, both of which were represented by a majority Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) government. Sponsored by Matane-Matapédia MNA Pascal Bérubé, the petition was tabled today in Quebec’s National Assembly.
A Record 160,483 Signatures
Within just over 48 hours of its launch, the petition received over 30,000 signatures. This massive and rapid support expresses the widespread concern of Quebecers over the announced budget cuts in the education system. The petition quickly grew into a major grassroots movement.
“It sends a clear message: the public is refusing to allow services for students, especially those with disabilities or adjustment or learning difficulties, to once more be abandoned,” says (FPSS-CSQ) President Éric Pronovost, who initiated the petition.
The petition notes that:
- The new budget targets imposed on school service centers and school boards are drastically reduced.
- These cuts will have a direct impact on services for the most vulnerable students.
- The Education Minister has a legal obligation to meet the needs of all students, as stipulated in Section 1 of the Education Act.
Mobilization of All Education Personnel
Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ) President Éric Gingras said that “the normally joyful start of school vacations quickly turned to concern. This historic mobilization shows that Quebecers consider education a priority. And we know that they also support those who work in the system with a common goal: the academic success of our youth. When we impose cuts on education, we weaken the entire team, and it is the students who pay the price.”
Conditions for Additional Funding
A brief reminder that in July, the government reversed course and announced a partial reinvestment of funds. While the announcement may have seemed reassuring to some at the time, now that the school year is well underway, we are seeing that conditions imposed on school service centers for how the funds can be used and the accountability procedures continue to wreak havoc. Pronovost ends by saying that, “We are asking the Quebec government to guarantee the presence of sufficient staff in our schools. Negative effects are already being felt on the ground, and the unprecedented support for this petition demonstrates how deeply the public values education.”
