First Bill 86 hearing cancelled due to provincial cabinet shuffle
Proposed legislation would eliminate school board elections and give parents more control
The first public hearing into Bill 86 scheduled for Thursday has been cancelled due to a cabinet shuffle which will be announced the same day.
Bill 86 is the proposed legislation that would abolish school board elections and give parents more control over school operations.
The controversial bill drew the ire of several school boards, including two of the largest ones, which were originally shut out of the hearings. The Quebec government later changed its mind and said the Commission scolaire de Montréal and the English Montreal School Board would be allowed to address the committee heading the hearing.
- Quebec English community leaders rally against school board reforms
- Quebec Anglo groups gear up for fight to save elected school boards
On Tuesday Premier Philippe Coullard announced he would revamp his cabinet Thursday.
New dates for the hearings have yet to be announced.
If adopted as is, Bill 86 would also eliminate elected school commissioners. Instead, each of Quebec's 72 boards would be represented by a school council made up of 16 people:
- six parents, one of whom is the parent of a child with a disability
- two school principals
- one teacher
- one non-teaching staff member
- six community members
Each board's director general would also sit on the council, as a non-voting member.