Eleven teachers at Bedford Elementary School have been suspended at the request of the director general of the Montreal School Service Centre (CSSDM), who made the announcement in a press release on Saturday evening.
Isabelle Gélinas asked the school’s administration to immediately suspend the teachers involved, a move described as “unprecedented” by the public organization.
Gélinas made this decision after learning, on Thursday evening, the names of the teachers accused by a ministerial investigation report of creating a toxic environment at the school, raising concerns about “the physical and psychological safety of students.”
The CSSDM specified that the suspensions will remain in effect “for the duration of the investigation work by committees appointed by the Minister of Education.”
The committees must determine whether the 11 teachers “committed serious misconduct or acted dishonorably or undignified in the exercise of their teaching duties,” the press release also stated.
Educational services at Bedford Elementary will be reorganized starting Monday, with support already planned for students, and substitute teachers assigned.
The CSSDM said it is working “to restore a healthy and safe climate at Bedford school,” noting that three other schools are under ministerial investigations following the probe into Bedford Elementary.
The CSSDM said that no further comments will be made about the ongoing ministry investigations.
A devastating investigation report
According to the Ministry of Education’s report, investigators found that a “dominant clique” of teachers had established a climate of fear and intimidation, effectively imposed an autocratic reign of terror at the school.
Children were subjected to physical and psychological violence, including being shouted at and subjected to humiliating measures, such as being sent to stand “against the wall” or in the hallway for extended periods.
“For some teachers at Bedford School, learning difficulties do not exist,” the report stated.
“To them, students struggling academically are seen as lazy, spoiled or unwilling to put in the necessary effort.” The report also noted that some teachers denied the existence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), referring to children with ASD as “aliens” and “lost causes.”
Members of the dominant group allegedly barred education professionals, such as specialized education technicians and speech therapists, from accessing their classrooms. They would even lock doors and lower blinds to prevent visibility into the classrooms.
The report also stated that “some teachers refused to develop intervention plans for some of their students, stating that there were no problems in the classroom (…) The evidence shows that several students did not receive the services to which they were entitled.”
The influence of this group was reportedly so strong that numerous other teachers who opposed their methods left the school. Some of the teachers that left had been subjected to boycotts, carried out in front of students. The group also interfered in administrative matters that were beyond their responsibilities.
The outcome of the investigations could mean the conditional continuation, suspension or outright revocation of the teaching licences or certificates of the teachers involved.
Last Friday, Education Minister Bernard Drainville announced that two advisors had been sent to Bedford School to develop a plan to “restore a healthy and safe climate, ensure teacher competence and propose solutions to the problem of teacher interference in school management.” The action plan must be submitted by Nov. 30.
“It’s hard to believe that in 2024, in our public schools, situations like this could go on for so long,” said the president of the Fédération autonome de l’enseignement, Mélanie Hubert, in an interview with The Canadian Press on Tuesday.
For her part, Catherine Beauvais-St-Pierre, president of the Alliance des professeures et des professeurs de Montréal, which represents the teachers in the four schools under investigation, said that the union was not aware of all the facts in the report. As to whether the union would defend its members who might be subject to disciplinary action, Beauvais-St-Pierre said: “We will represent them. I think that this nuance is important.”
“We have the duty, the responsibility, even the legal framework, which requires us to represent each and every one of our members,” she added. “However, ‘defend’ is another word. We’re not going to defend the indefensible.”
– With files from Pierre Saint-Arnaud and Lia Lévesque
This report was first published in French by The Canadian Press on Oct. 20, 2024