Quebec unions demand education funding priorities

As the 2026 academic year approaches in Quebec, labor unions are calling for significant improvements to the province's education and higher education systems. The Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ) and the Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSN) have signaled that education must be a central priority for political parties ahead of the upcoming elections.

The CSN has identified chronic underfunding as a primary issue, citing deteriorating infrastructure, overcrowded classrooms, and staffing shortages. The union is demanding increased public funding to support student success, maintain staff safety, and renovate facilities. They also proposed integrating private schools into a unified, accessible public system and holding general assemblies on education from kindergarten to university.

Simultaneously, the CSQ and its collegiate federations are organizing a press conference to urge the political class to support the momentum of CEGEPs. These calls come as individual institutions, such as the Centre d’études collégiales en Charlevoix (CECC), report rising enrollment numbers, including a slight increase to 230 students for the upcoming term, driven by growing demand in programs like nursing and Tremplin DEC.