Quebec's undocumented children have right to education, activists say

With many children heading back to school on Monday, some Montreal advocacy groups are calling on the Quebec government to make changes to ensure undocumented kids also get an education.

The Education Across Borders Collective says that despite assurances from the government that the children of illegal immigrants or those with visitor visas would be welcome in schools, there has not been movement on the file.

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As it stands, children without legal papers can attend public schools in the province but must pay up to $6,000 in fees, a cost the collective says is prohibitive.

According to Quebec's Education Act, only certain types of immigrants as well as legal residents are entitled to a free public education.

"We find it to be a fundamental issue of rights. It's the way it should be that kids can go to school whatever the immigration situation of their parents or them," said Steve Baird, a member of the ​collective.

"There's not very many wealthy countries that exclude kids based on their immigration status from going to primary or secondary school."

According to Baird, former education minister François Blais reassured the group last year that changes were coming.

A spokesperson for the current education minister Sébastien Proulx says while the government reminded school boards to welcome all students, the issue will be looked into in the coming weeks.

It's not known exactly how many children are affected by the situation. 

An 2014 Quebec ombudsman's report included Education Ministry figures estimating the number at between 300 to 400, but Baird said the number could be much higher.