Education, Events

April 24: The Struggle Continues for Education For All! Gathering & Demonstration

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THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES FOR EDUCATION FOR ALL!
GATHERING AND DEMONSTRATION
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 6:30pm – 8:30pm
(new location!) at the École des métiers de la construction

(where the Montreal School Board will hold its April meeting)

5205, rue Parthenais (between Masson and Laurier)
map: http://goo.gl/maps/zFmNv (#27 or #47 bus east from métro Laurier south, Rivard & St-Joseph)
This is a family-friendly demonstration; children are welcome to attend.
Please get in touch about any accessibility needs.
Bring your own placards & noisemakers!We call on everyone in the Montreal-area who supports the right of all children, including “non-status” children, to attend primary and secondary schools, to show their support for Education for All at this demonstration.

The demonstration will take place before and during the monthly meeting of the Commission Scolaire de Montréal. We will organize more demonstrations and actions until school boards and the Quebec government change their policy regarding non-status kids. Please join us, whether for 30 minutes, or two hours, in demanding Education for All!

UPDATE (April 15): 
Twice this winter, the Collectif éducation sans frontières and allies have attended the monthly meeting of the Commission scolaire de Montréal. We demanded action by the school board, to ensure access to school for all children in Montreal, including non-status kids. Moreover, we have presented clear, viable and straightforward proposals that will allow all children residing in Montreal to have access to school. The Montreal School Board commissioners say they are sensitive to the fact that all kids should get access to schools, all while claiming they can’t do anything. The situation is urgent, as registration has already started for next year’s primary and secondary school terms, and we know that at minimum hundreds of kids, possible many more, are unable to attend school.  Please post and forward this message. And please attend our demonstration in large numbers.

BACKGROUND:

Currently, children who are without status (ie. without immigration status in Canada) or Canadian-born children of parents without status, cannot attend Quebec primary or secondary schools. In other jurisdictions, like Ontario, California and Texas, non-status children are able to attend such schools with much more flexibility.

In the past several months, migrant justice activists in Montreal have been in direct contact with several non-status families with children who have not been able to enroll into Montreal-area schools.

School boards in Quebec, particularly in Montreal where the majority of non-status families live, have the discretion to allow non-status children to attend schools. We demand that all Montreal-area school boards exercise their administrative power to cease any and all barriers to children attending schools. More broadly, we demand that the Quebec government, which has overall responsibility for education, change the requirement

This demonstration is part of an ongoing campaign by the Collectif éducation sans frontières (Education Across Borders collective), which is part of the Solidarity City campaign of Solidarity Across Borders.

DOCUMENTATION:-> Community Declaration: EDUCATION FOR ALL!
http://www.solidarityacrossborders.org/en/francais-declaration-education-pour-toutes-et-tous

-> The Education Across Borders collective has produced a booklet (in French) with info about the situation of non-status children in Quebec:
http://www.solidarityacrossborders.org/wp-content/uploads/bulletin-ESF.pdf

-> Le Devoir : La CSDM est invitée à ouvrir ses écoles aux enfants sans-papiers (21 février 2013):
http://www.ledevoir.com/societe/education/371477/la-csdm-est-invitee-a-ouvrir-ses-ecoles-aux-enfants-sans-papiers-> Lettre ouverte à Pauline Marois, Marie Malavoy et Diane de Courcy (January 30, 2013)
http://www.solidarityacrossborders.org/wp-content/uploads/LettreOuverteMaroisMalavoyDeCourcy2.pdf

-> Communiqué de presse: Le Collectif éducation sans frontières somme le gouvernement d’agir rapidement (January 30, 2013)
http://www.solidarityacrossborders.org/fr/communique-de-presse-le-collectif-education-sans-frontieres-somme-le-gouvernement-d%E2%80%99agir-rapidement

-> CUTV Report: Pas de papiers, pas d’éducation: Une situation alarmante au Québec (October 5, 2012)
http://cutvmontreal.ca/videos/2270

-> La Presse: La rentrée scolaire? Pas pour tous les enfants (September 18, 2012)
http://www.solidarityacrossborders.org/en/la-presse-la-rentree-scolaire-pas-pour-tous-les-enfants

-> Press Release: As a new Quebec government gets ready to take power, hundreds of school-age kids are still not able to go to school (September 17, 2012)
http://www.solidarityacrossborders.org/en/francais-communique-de-presse-le-nouveau-gouvernement-fait-sa-rentree-plusieurs-centaines-d%E2%80%99enfants-la-manquent

-> The Education Across Borders collective has contacted all school board commissioners on the island of Montreal, to raise awareness about the situation of non-status children unable to access school. We include a sample letter here: http://www.solidarityacrossborders.org/wp-content/uploads/EMSBAngelaMancini.pdf

INFO:
www.solidarityacrossborders.org
438-933-7654
solidaritesansfrontieres@gmail.com