Québec’s teacher strike offers lessons on the urgent need to support public education

By Safeera Jaffer, R. Nanre Nafziger, McGill University

The doors of around 800 Québec public schools were closed due to the strike action of the Fédération autonome de l’enseignement (FAE) from Nov. 23 through Jan. 8.

During this strike period, 368,000 students missed 22 days of school while teachers also lost the same number of days in pay.

Additionally, teachers in unions represented by the Common Front were on strike for 11 days.

The strikes impacted public school teachers, students and parents across Québec at multiple levels including primary, secondary and adult education.

The consequences both in the short- and long-term are potentially devastating. The strike offers lessons about the urgent need to support teachers and address issues in public education.

Failing to do so will continue to negatively affect teacher morale, burnout and attrition. It will also risk further corroding the critical role of public schooling in supporting our communities.

Understanding demands, uplifting teacher voices

The demands of the FAE were extended beyond pay, including better recognition (including improved pension plans and parental rights), better family-work-life balance, better class composition, a reduction in the workload, new provisions regarding grievances and arbitration, better treatment of teachers with precarious status and a healthy workplace.

Must change systemic problems

The lack of resources and support that teachers receive can lead to several consequences, ranging from increased stress and exhaustion to burnout.

While teachers are proven to be resilient in the face of these challenges, the concept of resilience itself is a contested one.

These demands cover finances, classroom practices and teacher well-being.

Given the current social and educational climate, including post-pandemic educational challenges, supporting teachers and policy changes is of the utmost importance.

Mitigating current challenges by accepting teacher demands is crucial because healthy and well-supported teachers are paramount for successful student learning.

The role of teacher well-being is particularly critical due to the continuing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada.

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