The evolution of professionalism - Centre for Policy Studies in ...

That same year, the government undertook a major reorganization of the school
districts: the restructuring of these districts into large administrative units. In a
document from January 1992 entitled Consultation Meetings on the Reorganization
of School Districts, the Minister of Education and the school boards agreed
that, at the time, it was necessary for all public services to participate in budget
reductions and a reorganization of responsibilities. The following modifi cations
were proposed:
• To create a provincial forum on public teaching that would emphasize
collaboration and partnership so that the school boards, the education
Ministry, and the different players could communicate among themselves.
• As a result of their areas becoming larger, the school boards would
focus their attention on questions of a more regional nature as well as
the application directives and would move away from specifi cally local
issues. The boards would deal with questions of an educational nature
rather than an administrative nature. Their main areas of focus would be
the effectiveness of schools, the assessment of academic results and the
creation of links between the schools and the communities.
• Because they were now larger and there was a greater distance between
the schools and the boards’ administrative centres, school districts would
delegate certain powers to the schools. To ensure good communication
between the parents, the schools, and the school boards, school advisory
committees would be put into place. These committees would keep the
board up to date on questions such as rules and curricula, after-school
activities, cafeteria services, support services, closing of schools, and
parent-teacher meetings.
According to estimates at the time, reducing the school districts from 42 to 18
saved $6.4 million.
Four years later, the Renewal Plan brought in many changes that went
beyond what the Downey-Landry Commission wanted. As of March 1, 1996,
the administrative entities called school boards were dissolved. Their rights,
responsibilities, and obligations would be assumed by the Ministry of Education.
However, the provincial government kept the 18 school districts, but put in place
only eight administrations. Each administration was responsible for two or three
districts. These administrations, fi ve anglophone and three francophone, reported to
the Assistant Undersecretary for Education Services (francophone or anglophone)
of the Ministry of Education. In this structure, each district had an education
administration as well as teaching personnel. The role of the administration was to
look after pedagogical questions and the academic achievement of its district.
As of July 1, 1996, the number of school district personnel went from 469
to 346 people, with 80 percent of the positions abolished being administrative in
nature and 20 per cent of a teaching nature.
The new structure was also there to allow parents a more direct participation in
the school, the district, and the province. Each school created an advisory committee
with a mandate to give opinions on the pedagogy. The parent representatives
for each committee were elected by parents of children attending the school.
In each of the 18 school districts, parent advisory committees were created for
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