Quebec falling short on closing educational gap among Indigenous students: Auditor General report

Auditor General Guylaine Leclerc released the annual report for Quebec at the National Assembly for 2024-2025.

Education for Indigenous students

Nearly 20 years after noticing an educational gap among Indigenous students, the Education Ministry has yet to take important steps to implement helpful measures to ensure their success.

According to the report, there have been no plans or guides set up by various school organizations that adapt to Indigenous students who transition from a school in their community to a school in the Quebec school system.

“Despite the recommendations made to it, the ministry is taking little action to provide Indigenous students with a safe and culturally relevant school environment,” reads a press release. “In addition, the sums intended for the success of Indigenous students are not allocated according to needs and regional realities, and the funding methods do not allow for the implementation of sustainable actions.”

Financial update for the Réseau express métropolitain (REM)

Since the audit in 2018, the construction costs of the Réseau express métropolitain (REM) established by the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ Infra) have increased, while the government’s equity investment has not changed.

The Quebec government’s contribution represents more than half of the ridership revenues that the REM is expected to receive.

According to CDPQ Infra’s forecasts, the CAQ government will begin to earn a return on its equity investment in about 25 years.

The estimated cost of the project has increased from $7 billion in 2018 to $9.4 billion in 2024, according to Leclerc.

This is the largest public transport project undertaken in Quebec in the last 50 years, since the Montreal metro.

The increased costs are due to inflation, delays caused by the pandemic, the condition of the McGill College Ave. underground vault and the discovery of explosives in the Mount Royal Tunnel.

Full commissioning of the REM is now planned for 2027 rather than 2024.

Government Consolidated Acquisitions

The Centre for Government Acquisitions (CAG) has not carried out their grouping purchases that were set in their annual plan.

This has led to the company entering into contracts by mutual agreements, and customers procuring the goods and services themselves. This can limit efficiency and creates dissatisfaction.

“For 2022-2023, the EMF estimates that the government saved $407.9 million by consolidated acquisitions but this figure is unreliable and does not allow us to know the real impact because the calculation methods vary from one case to another,” noted the press release.

Government Office Spaces

Six years after announcing a project to transform government office spaces, only 7.2 per cent of the spaces have been changed – making it difficult to achieve the government’s target of redeveloping 35 per cent by March 31, 2028.

“The government has been slow to realize the significant rent savings that will result from the reduction of its spaces, and no action plan or funding strategy to achieve the government’s objectives has been approved,” reads the press release.

Additionally, the Société québécoise des infrastructures have way to monitor the ongoing projects such as the estimated cost of the work, the reduction in space and potential savings.

-with files from La Presse Canadienne