Quebec’s Federation of Private Educational Institutions (FEEP) is offering to help the public school system by taking in more students with severe learning or adjustment difficulties. To do so, the Ministry of Education must grant it the necessary licence, which it currently only holds in 12 specialized private schools. “Some people say, ‘When pupils are struggling, you send them to the public system,’ but it’s not because we want to. It’s because we have no choice,” said FEEP President Vickie Viens. She says she would like the Ministry of Education to extend licences to the entire private sector so they can take in students with disabilities, as well as adjustment and learning difficulties. “All other private schools – nearly 250 of them, whether subsidized or not – are licenced to provide services only to ‘mainstream’ pupils," explained Viens. “We don’t like that term, but it’s the correct one. We can adjust a report card if a pupil is slightly behind in French or math, but a students on a personalized learning pathway, who is two years behind, or who is following a semi-specialized vocational training program or a pathway preparing them for the labour market, that is not permitted in our schools.” She says she is convinced that the private and public sectors “must work hand in hand” and emphasizes that FEEP wants to “be part of the solution.” “We want to highlight our commitment to reducing the burden on public schools. We want to reduce the number of pupils with significant difficulties in public schools by allowing private schools to take them in,” said Viens, adding that private schools already cater to students struggling with, amongst other things, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). She proposes starting with a pilot project to be rolled out in 10 high schools, “because if we open the door at the elementary level and there is no follow-up, we won’t solve the problem.” FEEP says it would target schools that “already have certain favourable factors in place to ensure a smooth transition.” As an example, Viens points to Collège Saint-Bernard in Drummondville, which offers the “Voie d’avenir” (Pathway to the Future) program, whose personalized learning comprises a small number of students (18 per adult). “We should start with settings where this is already naturally established, where the culture is already in place and where the necessary resources — such as special educational needs teachers, remedial teachers and speech and language therapists — are already available, or where there is only a very small shortfall," said Viens. “We would support them with the help of the Ministry of Education to ensure that all the right conditions are in place to deliver this new service offering. For the time being, private schools have to restrict the pupils they can cater for.” FEEP says it wants to prioritize regions outside major urban areas. “Schools in regional areas, in particular, have potential. Not all school service centres have specialized classes for every type of difficulty, so a private school could be designated as a service point, which might, for example, have a class for pupils with a language disorder,” said Viens. “This would help the public sector to move forward.” With the provincial election approaching in Quebec, FEEP says it has shared its suggestion with the various political parties and the Ministry of Education. “When we presented this solution to them, it was very well received,” Viens said. When asked to comment on the initiative, the ministry responded by email to The Canadian Press that, “as this proposal from the FEEP has been put forward in the context of the upcoming election campaign, the Ministry and the Minister’s office will not be commenting.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on July 28, 2026.
