School System Under Pressure: The FPSS-CSQ and FPPE-CSQ Demand that All Resignations Be Documented

The Fédération du personnel de soutien scolaire (FPSS-CSQ) and the Fédération du personnel professionnel de l’éducation du Québec (FPPE-CSQ) welcome the Ministry of Education’s decision to better document the reasons why teachers are leaving the school system.

However, both federations believe that such an initiative would benefit from being extended to all school staff, including support and professional personnel. According to them, a better understanding of why people are leaving is an essential step in implementing sustainable solutions to the recruitment and retention challenges affecting the entire system.

“Understanding why people are leaving our schools is essential. But it must be done for all education staff. We are experiencing staff shortages at all levels, and the reasons for resignations must be documented with the same rigor, because the reality is that we are losing significant expertise every day,” stated Éric Pronovost, president of the FPSS-CSQ.

The two federations point out that these departures are not an isolated phenomenon and that the causes cited, such as excessive workloads, lack of resources, burnout, and issues of violence, affect all staff categories.

“The Ministry has a good idea, but how can we fully explain teacher resignations without considering those of other staff categories? When we talk about excessive workloads, violence, or lack of resources, we are often talking about our professions. Understanding the teacher resignations without understanding those of all the staff who support them on a daily basis is like trying to explain a symptom without addressing its causes. A school is an integrated whole,” adds Carolane Desmarais, president of the FPPE-CSQ.

Understanding to Improve Retention

The FPSS-CSQ and the FPPE-CSQ believe that the future mechanism should cover all categories of school staff. It should mandate that structured exit interviews, not just surveys, be based on a uniform methodology across all school boards and be accompanied by the necessary resources for its implementation.

The two federations believe that such an approach can only lead to sustainable solutions if it provides a complete picture of the situation and a better understanding of the realities experienced by all staff categories. “The shortage of school support staff, whether working with students or in administrative, technical, para-technical, and manual roles, creates an excessive burden for those who remain. At the same time, it increases the risk of even more people leaving the education system,” says Éric Pronovost.

“This year, nearly half of the professionals we spoke with- 48.5%- reported losing colleagues in their own job category due to voluntary departures. Yet, with over 8.2% of positions vacant, professional staff are also the job category hardest hit by the shortage. If we truly want to understand these departures and find sustainable solutions, it’s difficult to understand why we would choose not to document those in the group where the problem is most acute,” concludes Carolane Desmarais.

“The network can no longer afford to ignore what thousands of workers are going through. Documenting departures is a first step. But it must be done thoroughly, inclusively, and with a genuine commitment to addressing the root causes,” concludes Éric Pronovost.