1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«With this study, the Commission [Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse] sought to discover whether, after nearly 20 years of implementation of the Policy on Special Education and the Education Act, the overall organization of services for students with special needs in the school system promotes educational success and equal access to free public education for these students. The Commission was impelled to examine this question in response to certain alarming trends, some of which stemmed directly from complaints the Commission has received in recent years.» (p. 6)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
Données documentaires diverses

Type de traitement des données :
Réflexion critique

3. Résumé

«The findings of this study make it clear that thorough compliance with this ministerial approach has not been achieved throughout the Québec school system since the Policy on Special Education was adopted in 1999. As such, the Commission finds that infringement of the rights of students with special needs has not truly been reduced in that time, and that, in some sectors, it has actually increased. Even today, significant shortcomings persist in the practices for evaluating the needs and abilities of these students […].» (p. 23) Authors note that, «[f]aced with delays that can considerably hinder their child’s learning progress or with an outright lack of qualified specialists to identify their child’s needs, many parents instead resort to having their child diagnosed at a private clinic, incurring professional fees that can range from several hundred to several thousand dollars. With costs like these, however, many other parents cannot afford even this route. Finally, many parents reported that the specialized personnel in place are hardly sufficient to evaluate their child’s needs and abilities, let alone to coordinate individualized education plans or intervene in regular classes.» (p. 16) Authors note that «[a]ccording to the testimonials the Commission received, students with special needs who come from poor families require more complex educational intervention. [In fact, many] respondents stressed the need to respond to these students’ needs with measures that specifically take account of the intersectionality of their disability and the poverty in which their families live.» (p. 20)