Quebec adds $540M to education budget after criticism over spending restrictions

MontrealThe funding comes with specific conditions, including investing all the money in student services.Funding ‘not an open bar’ for service centres, says education ministerCBC News · Posted: Jul 16, 2025 12:06 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour agoQuebec Education Minister Bernard Drainville has faced an outcry from school boards, staff, and parents in recent weeks over his decision to impose budget restrictions for the coming school year. The government will add $540 million to the school system, but with certain conditions. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press)The Quebec government is adding hundreds of millions of dollars to the education budget for the upcoming school year after coming under fire for announcing cuts that would have amounted to $570 million less in funding.The sum of money announced on Wednesday amounts to $540 million. When announcing the budgetary restrictions last month, Education Minister Bernard Drainville said it was up to school service centres and school boards to respect the budgets they were given.Since then, teachers, parents, unions, school staff and school boards have heavily criticized those budgetary restrictions, arguing that student success and services would be affected.Across the province, there were protests and news conferences to draw attention to their concerns.A petition launched on the National Assembly website to oppose these budget cuts, sponsored by Parti Québécois (PQ) MNA Pascal Bérubé, has already gathered over 157,000 signatures.In a statement on Wednesday, Drainville said the government had listened to people’s concerns and was taking action for students.But the funding comes with conditions.”All the money invested must be used for direct student services, not for anything else. Let’s be clear: this is not an open bar,” read Drainville’s statement.”Of the $540 million announced today, $425 million will be paid into a dedicated envelope. To qualify, each [service centre] will have to demonstrate that it has made efforts to reduce its administrative expenses.”He hopes that a spending review already underway will continue and lead to savings. Written by Hénia Ould-Hammou, with files from Radio-Canada’s Sébastien Desrosiers