Parents' Perception of Their Role in School Governance in Quebec, 1981-1984

The author examined the evolution of parental involvement in Quebec education prior to 1981, the subsequent proposals for change in the role of parents in Bill 40 (1983), and through an analysis of the briefs submitted by parent groups to the Parliamentary Commission on Bill 40, draws conclusions on how parents perceive their role in education. Briefs submitted by 71 organised parent groups were analysed in order to determine what issues concerned parents, what issues they agreed with, and what Issues they opposed. A detailed description of these parent groups is given in terms of the parent organisation to which they are affiliated, the number of parents they represented, the level at which they operated in the province, their language, and their religious affiliation. The author points out that this allowed any common factors among the groups taking a stand on the proposals in Bill 40 to emerge. ln actual numbers, the majority of parents in Quebec, mostly French and English Catholics, accepted Bill 40, and were ln favour of most of its proposals. On the other hand, most English Protestant groups, although much smaller in actual numbers, opposed the bill and rejected many of Its proposals. The author concluded that while parent groups were ln favour of legislated committees of parents, they were aware that their level of success depended on the extent to which the other major partners in education were able to accept and recognize that parents have a significant contribution to make. Parents recognized a need for change in the educational structure in Quebec but had varying views on the extent to which change is necessary.

Master's Thesis

McGill University

Montreal

1985

vi-133p.

en