Higher education in Quebec - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Higher education in Quebec differs from the education system of other provinces in Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. Instead of entering university

University

A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...

or college

College

A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...

directly from high school

High school

High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....

, students in Quebec

Quebec

Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....

leave secondary school after Grade 11 (or Secondary V), and enter post-secondary studies at the collegiate level, either in CEGEP

Cégep

CEGEP is an acronym for , which is literally translated as "College of General and Vocational Education" but commonly called "General and Vocational College" in circles not influenced by Quebec English. It refers to the public post-secondary education collegiate institutions exclusive to the...

s (Collèges d’enseignement général et professionel, public colleges, general and vocational) or private institutions simply called colleges. Although both public CEGEPs and private colleges exist, both are colloquially termed CEGEPs. This level of post-secondary education allows students to choose either a vocational path or a more academic path. Many factors have led to the province’s current system of higher education, including linguistic, cultural and class tensions, as well as provincial distribution of natural resources and population. The Quiet Revolution

Quiet Revolution

The Quiet Revolution was the 1960s period of intense change in Quebec, Canada, characterized by the rapid and effective secularization of society, the creation of a welfare state and a re-alignment of politics into federalist and separatist factions...

of the 1960s also brought about many changes that are still reflected in the province's higher education system. The provincial government is responsible for education in Quebec through the Ministry of Education, Recreation and Sport.
Higher education in Quebec is available in both English and French at all levels. Unlike at the primary and secondary levels of education, wherein English-language instruction is permitted only under very specific circumstances, all tertiary students can choose to pursue post-secondary studies (in college and university

University

) in English. As of 2011, there are seventeen universities, three of which are English-language institutions. There are 54 CEGEPs in total, in six of which the language of instruction is English.

1600s and 1700s

Formal education in Quebec began almost four hundred years ago, with the arrival of the Ursuline nuns to Lower Canada

Lower Canada

The Province of Lower Canada was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...

, and later the inauguration of the Jesuit College was inaugurated in 1635 in Quebec City. The Jesuit College's initial vocation was to give the children of the colonists a classical education

Classical Christian education

Classical Christian education is an approach to learning which emphasizes biblical teachings and incorporates a teaching model known as the Trivium, consisting of three parts: grammar, logic, and rhetoric. According to Douglas Wilson, this method of instruction was developed by early Christians as...

. It was the only institution to offer both primary and secondary instruction throughout the French régime. The Quebec Seminary opened in 1678 through the merging of the Petit Séminaire and Grand Séminaire.. This institution was initially formed to train the citizens of the colony to be priests and church ministers. The Quebec Seminary later became Université Laval

Université Laval

Laval University is the oldest centre of education in Canada and was the first institution in North America to offer higher education in French...

.. The clerical presence in Quebec education would continue into the 20th century, later developing into a schism between Catholic and Protestant Quebec.

While the system was intially private, in 1789, a Commission on Education chaired by Judge William Smith proposed the establishment of a public system from elementary school through to university. It recommended that the system include a non-denominational university governed by lay and religious representatives - both Catholic and Protestant - that would attract members of both faiths. The Catholic clergy were suspicious of Protestant influence and Smith's recommendations were rejected. This report was a catalyst for debate about the divided nature of the Quebec education system. The system did not secularize until the Quiet Revolution

Quiet Revolution

of the 1960s.

1800s

Higher Education

Higher education

Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...

in Quebec

Quebec

was established at the base of Mont Royal in Montreal

Montreal

Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...

when James McGill

James McGill

James McGill was a Scottish-Canadian businessman, military commander and philanthropist known for being the founder of McGill University...

left £10,000 and a forty-six acre estate for the founding of a university in 1821. Eight years later classes at McGill University

McGill University

Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...

began when a Montreal medical school was merged with McGill. Four years later William Leslie Logie was the first graduate, awarded a Doctor of Medicine and Surgery. Collège Sainte-Marie de Montréal was created in 1848 by the Jesuits Three years later, in 1851, Université Laval

Université Laval

Laval University is the oldest centre of education in Canada and was the first institution in North America to offer higher education in French...

was founded in Quebec City

Quebec City

Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...

as the first major French Language

French language

French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...

higher education institution. Laval University grew out of the Quebec Seminary.. In 1843, Bishops University was established in Lennoxville. Specializing in undergraduate education, its mandate was to represent both British

British people

The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...

and rural

Rural

Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...

Quebec traditions. Twenty years later (1873) the École Polytechnique

École Polytechnique

The École Polytechnique is a state-run institution of higher education and research in Palaiseau, Essonne, France, near Paris. Polytechnique is renowned for its four year undergraduate/graduate Master's program...

opened in Montreal. Then in 1896, Loyola College

Loyola College (Montreal)

Loyola College was a Jesuit college in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It ceased to exist when it was incorporated into Concordia University in 1974. A portion of the original College remains as a separate entity called Loyola High School....

was founded as the English sector of the Jesuit Collège Sainte-Marie de Montréal.
The flourishing of English-language education in this period reflects the English conquest of Quebec, and it corresponded to an exodus of French clergy that seriously compromised the French-language education of the period. "Of all the educational problems in "Quebec in the second half of the century, none was perceived as moer serious or persistent than the rural school problem" (the rural, in the demographics of the era, was almost exclusively French). So, French-language education in this period suffered while the Anglophone system progressed.

1900–1960

In 1915, the École des Hautes Études Commerciales opened in Montreal

Montreal

Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...

Five year later, the École des Hautes Études Commerciales merged with the École Polytechnique and a branch of Laval University forming the University of Montreal in 1920. Although merged, all three institutions maintained unique identities. Sir George Williams College was founded in Montreal in 1926, offering evening classes for the English-speaking community. Sir George William College received a university charter from the provincial government and became Sir George William University. 1954 saw the founding of the University of Sherbrooke

Université de Sherbrooke

The Université de Sherbrooke is a large university with campuses located in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada and Longueuil, a suburb of Montreal approximately west of Sherbrooke. It is one of two universities, and the only French language university, in the Estrie region of Quebec.In 2007, the...

. Similar in nature to Bishop’s University, it was created to meet the needs of francophones in Quebec.

By 1959, there were three French-language universities: Laval

Université Laval

Laval University is the oldest centre of education in Canada and was the first institution in North America to offer higher education in French...

, Montreal

Université de Montréal

The Université de Montréal is a public francophone research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It comprises thirteen faculties, more than sixty departments and two affiliated schools: the École Polytechnique and HEC Montréal...

and Sherbrooke

Université de Sherbrooke

. There were two teacher training colleges, or Normal Schools (St. Joseph's Teacher College ), two liberal arts colleges (Loyola and Marianopolis) and three English-language universities (McGill, Bishop's and George Williams University).

The National Film Board of Canada

National Film Board of Canada

The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...

documentary "Collèges classiques" (1961), directed by Pierre Patry, documents the origins of Classical Colleges in Quebec and discusses changes, such as an increasing emphasis on the sciences.

1960-2000

Jean Lesage

Jean Lesage, PC, CC, CD was a lawyer and politician in Quebec, Canada. He served as the 19th Premier of Quebec from 22 June 1960, to 16 August 1966...

was elected as Premier

Premier

Premier is a title for the head of government in some countries and states.-Examples by country:In many nations, "premier" is used interchangeably with "prime minister"...

of Quebec in 1960, and instituted sweeping educational reforms, setting up the structure still in place today. Re-structuring the education system was part of the larger Quiet Revolution

Quiet Revolution

, in which Quebec (especially Francophones) modernized and secularized. Under the Lesage government, the recommendations of the Parent Report were taken up and had lasting effect on Quebec education, including unprecedented amounts of public spending on education . The Parent Report helped create the Ministry of Education (later renamed Ministry of Education, Recreation and Sports), the CEGEP system, as well as to dismantle the denominational schism in Quebec's school system. The Protestant and Catholic school boards formalized by the late 19th century operated with barely any communication with each other, the result of which was a sharp difference in the quality of education for Catholic and Protestant (corresponding to Francophone and Anglophone) citizens of Quebec. The population served by the Protestant school board was substantially smaller than that of the Catholic, benefitting also from more secular educational principles inspired by the Scottish model . The Quiet Revolution and the Parent Report addressed long-standing inequality between English and French Quebec, though the Report was also part of a larger national trend during this period (e.g. The MacDonald Report in British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

).

According to Henchey and Burgess, there have been five major changes to the Quebec Higher Education system since the 1960s:

1. The demand on the post secondary system saw increases of sixty percent per decade until the 1980s. This growth was due largely to the growth in Quebec's population and the need for more specialized post-secondary training requirements. With enrolment increasing by one hundred and fifty percent from 1967 until 1983, a joint committee was established whose representatives included secondary school personnel and university admissions officers for the purpose of consolidating and an expanding regular programs. This helped to smooth articulation

Articulation (education)

In Australia and United States education, articulation or more specifically course articulation, refers to the process of comparing the content of courses that are transferred between postsecondary institutions such as TAFE institutes, colleges or universities...

between the various colleges and universities, both public and private, which increased the volume of students This committee was the result of a provincial royal commission recommendation that stressed the need to accommodate an increasing demand for higher education, and to provide industry

Industry

Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...

with the higher degree of skilled labour

Workforce

The workforce is the labour pool in employment. It is generally used to describe those working for a single company or industry, but can also apply to a geographic region like a city, country, state, etc. The term generally excludes the employers or management, and implies those involved in...

required in the industrialized province

Province

A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...

. In 1969, ÉNAP (École Nationale d’Administration Publiques) forms as the Public Administration University., and in October 1972, Télé-université

Télé-université

Télé-université, or TÉLUQ, is a component of the Université du Québec à Montréal. TÉLUQ became a component of UQAM in June 2005. The enabling legislation is An Act respecting educational institutions at the university level. -Programs:...

is established as a multi-mode francophone university when parliament created the Commission of the Télé-université, on an experimental basis, for a five year period. Loyola would cease to exist in 1974 when it is merged with Sir George Williams University to become Concordia University. Although both institutions had religious roots as Jesuit and Christian, Concordia is established as a secular institution. Collège Militaire Royal de Saint-Jean opens in 1985 and offers instruction in the sciences.

2. The establishment of CEGEPS and the University of Quebec System changed the institutional patterns.

In 1967, Bill 21 established the CÉGEP

Cégep

s. In September 1967, there were twelve CEGEPS. A year later in September 1968, the number of CEGEPs almost doubled to twenty-three colleges. Dawson College

Dawson College

Dawson College was the first English CEGEP and is located in Westmount, just west of downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Dawson College is located near the heart of downtown Montreal in a former nunnery on 4.85 hectares of green space...

opened in 1969 as the first English Language CEGEP. Three years later (1971), there were forty CÉGEPs. The current (2008) number of CEPEGs in Quebec is forty-eight. The CEGEPs assumed the role of instructing advanced general courses; essentially removing the freshman year from university. Because the CEGEP graduate was given 30 credits toward a Bachelor's Degree leaving only 90 credits, the university courses became more specialized and of course shorter. Also, prior to the Quiet Revolution

Quiet Revolution

, a Bachelor's of Science Degree took an English student four years of University. Their French counterpart was required to complete an undergraduate degree in general arts before entrance into three additional years of Science Studies; thus, CEGEPs standardize the required duration of training for both English and French students.

In 1979, the Conseil de Collèges was established to make revisions to the act governing colleges. It developed two commissions: one for general (academic) and one for vocational. Revisions of the laws governing colleges conducted in 1984 establishing a new set of regulations for programs. Also in 1984, the saw the development of an annual report, Cahiers de l’enseignement collegial interested in regulations respecting the basis of college education. In 1985, a policy statement of the Council of Collèges is published titled “Les CÉGEPs de demain.”

The University of Quebec

Université du Québec

The University of Quebec is a system of ten provincially-run public universities in Quebec, Canada. Its headquarters are in Quebec City. The university coordinates university programs for more than 87,000 students. It offers more than 300 programs...

system was created in 1968, though the passing of Bill 88. It was modelled after state university systems in New York State and California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

. It was developed with a central administration office located in Quebec City

Quebec City

with four initial campuses: Montreal, Trois Rivières, Rimouski, Chicoutimi. By delivering higher education in this format, the University of Quebec has provided access to many social and economic groups that may have otherwise restricted from pursuing further education due to their geographic location. Specialized courses are offering at the various regional campus are designed with local representatives and ecological orientation. The initial philosophies were meant to be more democratic, less elite and more flexible. Collège Sainte-Marie de Montréal was one of the institutions that merged together to create UQAM in 1969. In this same year, the Institut Nationale de Recherches Scientifiques (INRS) developed as a research arm of the University of Quebec. Institut Armand Frappier was established as a component of the INRS in 1975. Disciplines at the Institut Armand Frappier are focused around health science research including immunology and environmental biotechnology. The Université Québec à Hull (UQAH) was added to the University of Quebec system in 1972.
In 1974, TELUQ first offered its course titled COO 1001, Initiation with Co-operation. This course was create in partnership Desjardins, and two years later (1976) TELUQ offered its first program titled “Certificate in Knowledge of Man and Medium" (CHEM). The first graduate from this program was Pierre Vincent of Saint-Foy, Quebec. In 1990, TELUQ offered its first baccalaureat in communication, and by 1997 TELUQ was receiving a subsidy of nine million dollars for technological modernization. The head office of Téluq in Quebec took hold of its own buildings, which is similar to the structure of the Montreal office. 1974 saw the inauguration of École de Technologique Supérieur (ÉTS) which specializes in the delivery of engineering and technology. The École de Technologique Supérieur (ETS) has developed industry partnerships to build the curriculum and provide instructors.

3. Attempts to coordinate and rationalize the traditionally independent universities into a network that reflects the growing financial dependence of universities on government grants. In 1968, Bill 57 is passed to established the Council of Universities (Conseil des universités) to help strengthen the network of universities in Quebec. The Council’s responsibilities included implementing a plan of development and financing education.

4. Curriculum changes involving new programs, more specialized B.A.’s and short certificates and diplomas, and the integration of teacher education into the universities. The Quiet Revolution in the 1960s was instrumental in the development of the current higher education system. The Parent Report released in 1964 was essentially the blueprint for university development in Quebec. It reported that Quebec primary and secondary school teachers ranked significantly lower than those in other jurisdictions of North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

. 1961-62 figures indicate that 90% of Catholic (French) teachers and 65% of Protestant (English) teachers had less than or equal to 13 years of schooling. The Quebec Government believed that success in school reform hinged on having well qualified teachers, and teacher education underwent major changes in the preparation and qualification for those entering the profession. The Quebec universities assumed the duties of administering teacher education. By the end of the 1960s, undergraduate degrees became the minimum requirement for new teachers in the K-V system.

5. Periodic analysis of the role of Universities in society and the kind of policies that would be appropriate for future university development.
In 1975, NADEAU Report was commissioned.
Higher education in Quebec was also subject to a cultural development policy in 1978 In 1978, Les Collèges de Québec Nouvelles Étapes Report was commissioned.
The Commission d’etude sur les Universities (CEU) was commissioned as for volumes in 1979

Essentially, "the reforms fundamentally altered the character and pattern of education, changing it from a decentralized, church dominated system serving an elite to a centralized, state controlled one catering to a mass population."

2000 and beyond

In 2005, the government of Quebec authorizes the joining of the TÉLUQ and the UQAM. This decision was made by decree of the Council of Ministers on May 18, 2005 on recommendation of the Minister for Education, Recreation and Sport, Mr Jean-Marc Fournier. This amalgamation, which makes of Téluq a component of the UQAM within the University of Quebec, was carried out by the delivery of additional letters patent to the UQAM.

College

Higher education in Québec is a two step process, starting with a college program before being able to continue on at the university level. Students can pursue their higher education by obtaining a College Education Diploma (or Diploma of College Studies Diplôme d'Études Collégiale/DEC). Two types of Diplomas exist, a general education diploma, and a vocational education diploma. A general education diploma is required for admittance to universities in Québec. Both public and private colleges exist side by side and have the same diploma granting privileges.

Public colleges are known either by their unofficial English name of General and Vocation Colleges, or their official french acronym of CEGEP
Cégep
CEGEP is an acronym for , which is literally translated as "College of General and Vocational Education" but commonly called "General and Vocational College" in circles not influenced by Quebec English. It refers to the public post-secondary education collegiate institutions exclusive to the...

s ( Collège d'enseignement général et professionel, word for word translated as "College of General and Vocational Education"). Private colleges are simply called colleges. Although only public colleges can legally be called CEGEPs, most refer to all Québec colleges, public and private, as CEGEPs.

Private Colleges

Quebec has over 20 private colleges that fulfill the same educational requirements as the public CEGEPs, many are specialised institutions with some offering programs that are exclusively vocational.

CEGEP (Collège d'enseignement général et professionel)

The 50 or so public general and vocational colleges, or CEGEPs are governed, in addition to the post-secondary education laws, by separate and specific laws. Each is governed by a board of directors made up of students, faculty, and members of the community. CEGEP institutions are polyvalent

Polyvalent

In chemistry, polyvalence or multivalence refers to species that are not restricted to a distinct number of valence bonds....

offering both pre-university and technical

Vocational education

Vocational education or vocational education and training is an education that prepares trainees for jobs that are based on manual or practical activities, traditionally non-academic, and totally related to a specific trade, occupation, or vocation...

programs. The association with the various religious interests was replaced with a secular and public approach with the intention of increasing access for all social groups. By developing a single structure, it allowed for equality of educational opportunity. Students apply to regional admission services, not to individual CEGEPs. The exceptions to this are Dawson College and Champlain Regional College. There are three regions: Quebec City (Service régional d'admission au collégial de Québec - SRACQ), Metropolitan Montreal (Service régional d'admission du Montréal métropolitain - SRAM), and Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean (Service régional d'admission des cégeps du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean - SRASL). Metropolitan Montreal (SRAM) is the only region that offers English-language CEGEPs.

Universities

Since the 1960s, the higher education system in Quebec reacted to an increasing population by offering expanded education access in more regions. Universities in Quebec are actively reducing or eliminating disparities between men and women, metropolitan and rural and French and English. According to Henchey and Burgess, "Quebec is clearly moving in the direction of equality access, especially for French women; however, gaps still remain for other language groups, poor and the isolated."

There are transfer programs available for secondary school grads from outside the province; however, applicants are required to meet entrance requirements as specified by the individual university. Applicants are required to demonstrate proficiency in the language of instruction used at the institution.

The University of Quebec (UQ)

The University of Quebec is a unique educational system in the province, as it was originally modeled after the state run universities found in California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

and New York State. The UQ system was a product of the Quiet Revolution

Quiet Revolution

, and it was created by the Quebec National Assembly who enacted the "University of Quebec Act" in 1968. According to Magnuson (1980), "The University of Quebec was intended to extend higher education to throughout Quebec in response to expanding enrolments allowing accessible to students in rural communities." The mission of the University of Quebec is to facilitate the access to university education, to contribute to the scientific development of Quebec and to assist in regional development. In 2007, students had access to adult and university education in seven regions of Quebec through one of the UQ's ten French language institutions.. Each campus of the University of Quebec is a legally independent entity, which allows for increased autonomy

Autonomy

Autonomy is a concept found in moral, political and bioethical philosophy. Within these contexts, it is the capacity of a rational individual to make an informed, un-coerced decision...

.

The Faculty of Medicine had increased residency capacity sixty percent since 2003 largely due to international medical graduates (IMG's).

Télé-université

The Télé-université, or TÉLUQ, is the first university-level establishment specializing in distance education in Quebec. As part of the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), the TÉLUQ's mandate is university education and research. It is characterized by its flexible teaching model, which makes it possible for students to pursue studies on one's own schedule. It accommodates annually more than 17.000 students. Its programs are sanctioned by a diploma of the UQAM. The amalgamation of TÉLUQ and UQAM form the largest bimodal francophone university, combining an on campus and a distance education model.

CEGEP (Collège d'enseignement général et professionel)

In 1967, the CEGEP system was created during the Quiet Revolution to allow French and English students the ability to follow the same educational route. It was initially formed as an amalgamation of the French-language classical colleges, normal schools and technical schools. The CEGEP system quickly replaced the province's classical colleges, which numbered ninety-eight in 1966-67, to less than twenty in five years' time. The English schools, however, had to be created from scratch because the only two existing English colleges (Loyola and Marianopolis) were converted into other educational institutions. Loyola merged with Sir George University to become Concordia University, and Marianopolis became a private college.

Two types of programs are offered:

1) two year general education (pre- university) programs leading to university.

General Arts include: science

Science

Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...

, social sciences

Social sciences

Social science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...

, creative arts

Creative Arts

Creative arts is the term used to describe different types of art. Specifically, to introduce fine art ideas, techniques, skills and media. It is generally used as an umbrella for Dramaturgy, Music , Graphic Arts/Cartooning, Performing Arts, Film and Publishing, Galleries and Museums and the Visual...

, music

Music

Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...

, fine arts, language

Language

Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...

, literature

Literature

Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...

and oral communications.

2) various three year vocational programs leading to the workforce.

Vocational Programs: biological sciences, physical sciences, social sciences

Social sciences

, administrative sciences and fine arts.

As of 2008, there were forty-eight CEGEPs, twenty five private colleges, ten institutions operated by government departments, and one college under university. English as the medium of instruction is offered in six of these colleges: Champlain Regional College (with campuses in St. Lambert, Lennoxville in the Eastern Townships and Quebec City), Dawson College, Heritage College, John Abbott College, Marianopolis, and Vanier Upon completion of the CEGEP program, a student is awarded a DEC - Diploma of College Studies. This certification is awarded to student who have completed either the vocational stream or the academic stream. The CEGEP system streamlined access to universities, as English students were previously eligible for post secondary studies after eleven years of schooling, but French students once required fifteen years of schooling, although, Smith et al., indicated that French students were previously required to complete sixteen years of study before university In the 1970s through early 1980s, “the colleges became heavily involved in programs of continuing education, community development and recently programs of international cooperation with developing nations.”

In 1999 Andre Michaud indicated that the rates of completion for Quebec students was greater than forty percent for high school

High school

students and greater than twenty-five percent for university

University

students.

General overview of university education

One of the objectives of the Quebec education system is to provide access to university services to the whole province of Quebec. Physical accessibility with these services results either in a physical university campus or a center of teaching establishment in the area, or through distance education. University services are offered in all regions of Quebec. Thus, the majority of universities have several centres of teaching and research, which make up the university campus. In general, the head office of the university is found at this centre. However, in order to meet the needs of populations further removed from the campuses, universities often offer classes at satellite centres distant from their principal campus. These are generally offered on a part-time. Another way of making university education more accessible is through the integrated use of media, such as in printed paper form, television and telematics. The Télé-université, establishment of the network of the University of Quebec, specializes in this mode of distance education. More than 5,100 students are registered there, including more than 3,200 women and nearly 1,900 men. Most of these students enter in the first cycle (September), although some are enrolled part time. As well, three out of four students are 30 years old or older. Québécois universities confer more than 35 000 university degrees annually. In the 1990s, the annual number of decreed university degrees grew considerably. The rate of obtaining a baccalaureat in Quebec is among the highest in the world.
|style="border:1px solid black;" colspan="3"|Canadian system
(excluding Québec)>

Grade/Year

Québec system
|-
| rowspan="9"|

Elementary School
> 1st
|style="color: red"| 1

Primary School
1st

|-
|style="border:1px solid black;" bgcolor=#d9f>d9| 2nd

|-
|style="border:1px >olid black;" bgcolor=#d9ffd9| 3rd

|-
|style="border:1px >olid black;" bgcolor=#d9ffd9| 4th

|-
|style="border:1px >olid black;" bgcolor=#d9ffd9| 5th

|-
|style="border:1px >olid black;" bgcolor=#ccffcc| 6th

|-
|style="border:1px >olid black;" bgcolor=#ccffcc| Secondary School
7th

Secondary
I
|-

8th

|-
|style="border:1px s>lid black;" bgcolor=#ccffcc| High School
9th

|-
| style="border:1px s>lid black;" colspan="2" rowspan="3" bgcolor=#c0e8f0 | Technical Vocational High School
Apprenticeship programs at secondary level
« Apprenticeship Option »
(varies from province to province)

10th

|-
|style="border:1px so>id black;" bgcolor=#bfffbf| 11

DES (Secondary Diploma)> |-
|style="border:1px solid black;" bgcolor=#bfffbf| 12

College
Education
2 years
DEC (Diploma of College Studies)

Education>
3 years

Technical DEC
|-
|style="border:1px solid black;" bgcolor=#c0e8f0 rowspan="4"|University College
2 years

/

4 years

Bachelor’s degree

Community College
2 years

Undergraduate
University
4 years

Bachelor's degree

b>13
|-
|style="color: red"|14

University
1st cycle
(3 years without exception)

Baccalaureate Diploma

|-
| rowspan="7"|

|-
| style="color: red"|
16

|-
| rowspan="4"|

« Graduate school »
Graduate

Master's degree

2nd cycle

Master's

DESS (Specialized studies d>ploma)
|-
| style="color: red"| 18
|-
|bgcolor=#FFECB2 rowspan="4" style="border:1px solid black;"|Postgraduate

Doctorate

3rd cycle

Doctorate

|-
| style="color: red"|20
|-
| rowspan="7"|

Higher Education :

College

College Education is governed by the provisions of the General and Vocational Colleges Education Regulations. The public colleges are legal institutions each with a Board of Governors (BOG) composed of twenty members appointed by the Ministry of Higher Education. It includes senior administrators, personal and students of the college, parents and representatives of regional groups. Each College also has an Academic Council with 20 members of which the majority are instructors. The administrative head of the institution is the director general. The colleges level below the director general is the academic dean and the director of student services. Other administrators, directors, deans and coordinators make up the next tier of the institution. Private colleges are governed by the Act Respecting Private Education, and regulations adopted under this act known as the Regulation Respecting the Application of the Act Respecting Private Education, but they are still subject to the same College Education Regulations, which apply to public CEGEP’s.

Universities

"Since the 1960’s the Quebec government has assumed a more commanding presence in university policy than was previously the case, allocating resources, standardizing procedures, setting broad policies objectives and attempting to rationalize the university system in the interest of the common good” In December 2006, the Institute for Governance of Private and Public Organizations, announced the creation of a study group on the governance of Quebec universities. The mandate of the group was three-fold. The first was to assess current practices and challenges for the proper governance of universities in Quebec and elsewhere. Second was to assess various principles and practices put in place to improve the quality of university governance in Quebec and around the world, and the final mandate was to make specific recommendations that are likely to enhance the quality of university governance in Quebec. The eleven member group consisted of university rectors, chancellors and principals as well as board members of various universities across the province. Their report was released in September 2007. It was rejected by the Fédération québécoise des professeures et professeurs d’université (FQPPU) as well as the McGill Association of University Teachers (MAUT) and the Concordia University Faculty Association (CUFA). In February 2008, representatives of CUFA and MAUT denounced the report’s recommendations in a written response to the study group’s report. The report recommended a fifteen member board of governors, where ten members are to be external. The board would also be responsible for hiring and compensation of senior administration as well as strategic planning and establishment of performance measures for teaching and research. The report did not take into account the current bicameral system of a board of governors as well as a senate, a system in place across North American universities. CUFA and MAUT were concerned about the lack of academic presence, both in teachers and in students, as well as the overwhelming presence of corporate and business interests on the proposed structure of the board.

Provincial bodies that influence the higher education system in Quebec

Association of Private Colleges of Quebec (Association des collèges privés du Québec (APCQ)) acts as the voice of twenty-two private subsidized colleges in order to promote education at the CEGEP level.

Confédération des Syndicats Nationaux (CSN), most CEGEP instructors are associated with this union.

Council of Education (Conseil supérieure de l’Éducation) is composed of twenty-two members and is an advisor body to the Minister of Education, Recreation and Sport. This council is independent from the Minister, but it provides suggestions and information about the state of education in the province. It conducts research and encourages stake holder to provide their input.

Commission of College Teaching Evaluation (Commission d'évaluation de l'enseignement collégial) acts as an independent government organization whose evaluation mandate covers most aspects of college education, with special emphasis on student achievement and programmes of studies. Legislation attributes to the Commission the power to evaluate and make recommendations, as well as to exercise a declaratory power.

Conférence des recteurs et des principaux des universités du Québec (Conference of Rectors and Principles of Quebec(CREPUQ)). This group is an association of university institutions. The CREPUQ currently have a campaign promoting the importance of higher education titled KNOWLEGDGEMATTERS to promote the benefit of having a well educated, highly skilled society.

Services provided by CREPUQ include the following:
- Evaluation of program projects by the Commission of Evaluation of Program Projects (CEP)
- Verification of program evaluation processes of university programs in Quebec through its Commission of verification of program evaluation (CVEP)
- Follow-up committee on programs through the work of the Commission of universities on programs.
- Integration centre of information technologies and communication to university teaching and its site PROFeTIC
- Coordination of student exchange programs through formal agreements reached with numerous higher education institutions in the United States
  United States
  The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
  
  , Mexico
  Mexico
  The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
  
  and Latin America
  Latin America
  Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
  
  , Europe
  Europe
  Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
  
  , Iceland
  Iceland
  Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
  
  , Japan
  Japan
  Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
  
  , China
  China
  Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
  
  and Australia
  Australia
  Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
  
  .
- Control mechanism of multiple acceptances for first cycle students
- Electronic transmission of college academic files to universities for admissions processes
- Management of agreements relative to study associations with outside institutions which allow students to take courses at another university when the same course is not offered at their own.
- Inter-university exchange on teaching vacancy notices
- Centre for special documents in higher education instruction offering professionals in CREPUQ and university personnel a library of over 100000 documents

Information system where the CREPUQ assumes current management within the framework of a protocol with the ministry for Education
- on admissions into universities
- on university personnel
Exchange programs are negotiated with other organizations similar to CREPUQ, not with individual schools
- Official program of cotutorship with French universities, created post-signing of Quebec-France general agreement signed by Quebec premier and French prime minister.
  - Allows PhD students to register simultaneously in two universities (one in Quebec, one in France), with two supervisors (one per university), meeting requirements at both universities and spending half the time in each institution.
  - Thesis defense occurs in front of a mixed jury of experts from each school.
  - Earn a double diploma: one from Quebec university and one from French university, both mentioning the other institution involved
  - Co-tutorship model duplicated with other countries (ie. Sherbrooke has one with a Belgian university), but funding is not equivalent if schools are not in France, due to close ties of French language support

Federation of CEGEPs (Fédération des cégeps) is the voice of the forty-eight public CEGEPS in Quebec.
The Fédération promotes education at the college level, and more specifically in the general and vocational colleges known as CEGEPs.

Fédération des associations des professeurs des universités du Québec (FAPUQ) was created in 1970. This organization grew out to the new Quebecois identity triggered by the societal changes in higher education following the Quiet Revolution, and according to Greg Allain was the central body in the formation of the FQPPU

Federation of Employees of Public Services (Fédération des employées et employés de services publics(FEESP-CSN)) represents support staff located in the province of Quebec

The McGill Association of University Teachers (l'Association des Professeur(e) s et Bibliothécaires de McGill ((MAUT - APBM)) was organized at McGIll University in 1951 to increase the involvement of faculty in the governance of the university. Through this involvement, McGill has fostered an atmosphere of academic freedom with improvements have made with regards to working conditions and salaries for teachers and librarians.

Minister of Economic Development, Innovation and Export (Ministère du Développement économique, de l'Innovation et de l'Exportation) Promotes and develops the overall scientific and technological development required in Quebec. This Ministry encourages university research and technology transfer

Ministry of Education, recreation and Sport (Ministère de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport) directs, promotes and develops postsecondary, college and university education, including scientific research and development.

For a list of past Ministers see Ministry of Education, Recreation and Sports (Quebec)

Ministry of Education, Recreation and Sports (Quebec)

The Minister of Education, Recreation and Sports is the individual who has the political responsibility for the regulation and oversight of educational services offered in the province of Quebec as well as for the Ministry of Education.The Quebec government abolished the Ministry of Public...

Quebec House of Labour (Centrale des syndicats du Québec(CSQ)) prior to June 2000, this union was known as the Quebec Teachers' House of Labour (Centrale des enseignants du Québec(CEQ)).
The Office of Professions(Office des Professions) is a government agency mandated to protect the public by ensuring that the workers of fifty one professions in Quebec follow the Professional Code Part of the public protection is done through the regulations of the total students admitted for specific professions; furthermore, the Office of Professions maintains the accreditation standards for professional programs including upgrading and continuing education for practitioners.

The Quebec Federation of University Teachers (Fédération québécoise des professeures et professeurs d’université (FQPPU)) was founded on May 16, 1991. The federation is made up of fifteen unions and it is primarily concerned with the maintenance, defence, promotion and development of the university as a public service including the defence of the right to university access and quality.

Universities

In the latter part of 1970s and into the early 1980s serious under funding lead to difficulties in basic financial planning due to the uncertainty in funding policies; therefore, priorities for programs leading to careers and professions and for research and development in the emerging sectors of information technologies were not always easily engaged this time of little growth and financial constraint. In 1979, nine percent of the total cost of post secondary education was collected as student fees. This compares to three percent from gifts and eighty-eight percent from the provincial government. This compares to Ontario

Ontario

Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

's total funding sources, where thirteen percent is from user fees, nine percent from foundation gifts and seventy-eight percent from the provincial government. Currently, McGill University

McGill University

has the third largest endowment of all Canadian educational institutions, approaching $1 billion. Tuition fees vary significantly between in-province, out-of-province and international students, with full-time Quebec students paying around $3,500 per year, other Canadian students paying around $7,500 per year, and international students paying over $15,000 per year.

The budget of Téluq, which is a public agency, is mainly made up of subsidies from the Minister of Education, Recreation and Sport. These subsidies are calculated from the number of students who are registered annually. This is combined with other sources of revenue, and in the 2006- 2007 fiscal year, the budget of $32,912,000 was generated from three sources: seventy- three percent was from subsidies, thirteen percent came from the incomes of education rights, and fourteen percent came from other incomes

College

In the 2007-2008 fiscal year, tuition fees for Quebec students are as follows free at public CEGEPs unless the student fails five general courses or seven vocational course. Private colleges assess tuition. Subsidizes for private colleges vary in amount from one institution to another, but is generally between $800 (can.) and $3700 (can.) per semester, depending on the program of studies. International students (non-Canadian) were required to pay between $4010 (can.) and $6125 (can.) per semester, depending on the program of study. At a subsidized private college an international student was charged between $2404 (can.) and $3732 (can.) per semester, depending on the program of studies.

University

Quebec has the lowest tuition fees in Canada, but only for in-province students. In the 2006-2007 fiscal year, Quebec residents paid $1916 (can.) in tuition for undergraduate programs due to a tuition-freeze that has kept fees at less than half the national average since the 1990s. The tuition freeze was lifted in 2007, bringing fees to $2025 (can.), still less than half the national average in Canada

Canada

. Graduate

Postgraduate education

Postgraduate education involves learning and studying for degrees or other qualifications for which a first or Bachelor's degree generally is required, and is normally considered to be part of higher education...

fees also remained low at $2137 (can.), on average. In comparison, Canadian graduate students paid $5387 (can.), on average.

Differential tuition

Residents of Quebec pay less tuition than non-residents of the province. For the 2010-2011 academic year, at Bishop’s University in Lennoxville, a Quebec resident will pay 3,145.90 CAD in tuition while a Canadian, non-resident of Quebec will pay 6,836.20 CAD. At Concordia University, Quebec residents paid 72.26 CAD per credit and Canadian non-Quebec residents paid 195.27 CAD per credit in the 2010-2011 fiscal year.

For the academic year 2007-2008, the additional financial contributions required of non-Canadian students enrolled in a university were 306.60 CAD per credit for students the undergraduate level studying human and social sciences, geography, education, physical education, administration, humanities and law, and all other disciplines were 348.60 CAD per credit, students at the graduate level paid an additional 306.60 CAD per credit and students at the doctoral level paid an additional 269.85 CAD per credit.

As of 1978, Quebec and France are under an agreement allowing French students to study in Quebec under the same price of tuition as Quebec residents .

Student financial aid

Student financial aid is administered provincially through the Ministry of Education, Leisure and Sport, which has set up conditions for student eligibility for loans and bursaries (grants). A student must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, refugee or anybody protected under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act; must be a Quebec resident or considered a Quebec resident at the time of application; must be admitted or will be admitted to an educational establishment recognized by the Ministry of Education, Leisure and Sport, and studying full-time, or considered to be enrolled full-time. One must not have exceeded the number of months for which financial assistance may be awarded; can not reach the limit of debt set for your education level, academic degree level or program of studies; and must not have sufficient financial resources to continue studies. Students can not be incarcerated. If an individual and their spouse are both students, only one can qualify for full-time status during the same year. Special provisions are available for pregnant students and students with families, which include: a recognition of independence that excludes parental income when calculating eligibility, the living expenses of a dependent child, and if a pregnant student is single the expenses as a household single parent are added to the calculation. Students with families studying part-time, at least 20 hours per month, may be eligible to receive financial aid normally intended for full-time students;only half of the number of months enrolled part time are taken into account. There are also special exemptions for single parents, being at least 20 weeks pregnant, caring for dependents under 18 studying full time, alimony payments, and forbearance while having to take time off related to pregnancy or to care for a new born.

External links

Association of Private Colleges of Quebec (Association des collèges privés du Québec)
Commission of College Teaching Evaluation (Commission d'évaluation de l'enseignement collégial)
Council of Education (Conseil supérieure de l’Éducation)
CREPUQ
Federation of CEGEPs (Fédération des cégeps)
FQPPU
Ministère de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.mdeie.gouv.qc.ca/&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3DMinist%25C3%25A8re%2Bdu%2BD%25C3%25A9veloppement%2B%25C3%25A9conomique,%2Bde%2Bl%2527Innovation%2Bet%2Bde%2Bl%2527Exportation%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-ca:IE-SearchBox%26rlz%3D1I7GFRCMinister of Economic Development, Innovation and Export (Ministère du Développement économique, de l'Innovation et de l'Exportation)]
The Office of Professions (Office des Professions)
University of Quebec Information pamphlet

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

1600s and 1700s

1800s

1900–1960

1960-2000

2000 and beyond

College

Private Colleges

CEGEP (Collège d'enseignement général et professionel)

Universities

The University of Quebec (UQ)

Télé-université

CEGEP (Collège d'enseignement général et professionel)

General overview of university education

College

Universities

Provincial bodies that influence the higher education system in Quebec

Universities

College

University

Differential tuition

Student financial aid

See also

External links