Breaking News: Occupation in progress at Quebec Education Minister constituency office; Protesters are demanding that all non-status children get free access to primary and secondary schools

The protesters are demanding that all non-status children in Quebec get free access to primary and secondary school.In the words of Nicolas Quiazua, a member of the Collectif éducation sans frontières who is currently occupying the office: “Minister Malavoy has been Minister of Education for more than one year, and she was informed on her first day in office that non-status kids can’t access public schooling. She has refused to act on this injustice, and even refuses to engage our Collective or the mainstream media on this issue. The only way to get her attention, and force her to act, is through this occupation.”

“Today, we are once again calling for Marie Malavoy to immediately provide clear and unambiguous directives to all school boards to allow all non-status children in Quebec to attend school for free,” stated Rosalind Wong, a member of Solidarity Across Borders, a migrant justice network based in Montreal that is supporting today’s action. She adds: “We are urgently demanding a special “back to school” in January for all children denied access to school this past August.”

Amy Darwish, another protester who is occupying Minister Malavoy’s office today, states: “We won’t leave the office today until Minister Malavoy makes the commitment to open Quebec’s schools to non-status kids, without fees, and with a guarantee of respecting the confidentiality of non-status families.”

Nicolas Quiazua concludes: “We are willing to risk arrest and trial to make our point, especially since the Minister seems incapable of responding otherwise.”

Source : Collectif éducation sans frontières
Date : December 10, 2013
Contact : 438-933-7654 ou solidaritesansfrontieres@gmail.com