“Honestly, it’s horrifying when I hear that. It’s horror as a minister, then it’s horror as a father of three children. »
Education Minister Bernard Drainville was visibly shaken on Tuesday by the recording of a teacher yelling at her first-grade students at École des Grands-Vents in Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac.
Bernard Drainville clarified that an investigation was launched not only by the Center de services scolaire des Mille-Îles, but also by the Deux-Montagnes police department.
In addition, the Minister specified that the general investigation mandate that he recently launched applies in such a case since this mandate does not only concern allegations of sexual misconduct, but also any inappropriate behavior that puts the psychological safety of children.
Bernard Drainville said he was convinced that the teacher should not have been in class. “Certainly, in the state she was in, she was absolutely not capable of teaching children. »
He assured that psychological support was offered not only to the children in the class and their parents, but to all children and parents in the school.
“Honestly, I can understand as a parent that these parents are in shock, that they are worried that their child has been scarred by this,” he said.
A former journalist himself, the Minister took the opportunity to recall that the leaders of School Service Centers are also accountable. The director of the Center de services scolaire des Mille-Îles, Nathalie Joannette, had taken some time to make herself available. “It is necessary that, more and more in cases that involve the management of service centers, that the general management, directors and directors speak up, it is their responsibility. It’s even in the law,” the minister said.
“Principals are the spokespersons for their school service center and you shouldn’t have to go through it multiple times to get interviews at one time. Service center executives are accountable and should make themselves available to the media. »
The teacher’s recordings, broadcast Monday by QUB radio, aroused the indignation of the population across the province.
