Montreal Island School Council
Encyclopedia
The Montreal Island School Council was an administrative organization in the education system of Montreal
, Quebec
, Canada
. It was created by the government of Quebec
in 1973 and abolished in 2002.
The council was established by the government of Robert Bourassa
to administer the education reforms that would follow passage of Quebec's Official Language Act
. Council members were initially appointed by the provincial government, although in later years they were appointed by the various school boards on the Island of Montreal
. By the end of the council's existence, its primary responsibility was to facilitate tax collection and distribute revenue to schools with low-income students. Its budget in 2002 was $5.4 million, of which $2.2 million was directed toward tax collection.
In late 2002, Education minister Sylvain Simard
oversaw passage of a bill abolishing the council and replacing it with a seven-member committee comprising the directors-general of Montreal's five school boards and two representatives of the province's education department. Some council members charged that Simard's decision was intended as punishment for the council's refusal the previous year to implement a provincial directive to raise taxes. Simard rejected this, arguing that the council's abolition would save $900,000 and that the replacement committee could better facilitate the redistribution of funds. He also noted that the Commission scolaire de Montréal
and the Commission scolaire de la Pointe-de-l'Île
had previously called for the council to be abolished.
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...
, 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....
, 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...
. It was created by the government of Quebec
Government of Quebec
The Government of Quebec refers to the provincial government of the province of Quebec. Its powers and structure are set out in the Constitution Act, 1867....
in 1973 and abolished in 2002.
The council was established by the government of Robert Bourassa
Robert Bourassa
Jean-Robert Bourassa, was a politician in Quebec, Canada. He served as the 22nd Premier of Quebec in two different mandates, first from May 12, 1970, to November 25, 1976, and then from December 12, 1985, to January 11, 1994, serving a total of just under 15 years as Provincial Premier.-Early...
to administer the education reforms that would follow passage of Quebec's Official Language Act
Official Language Act (Quebec)
The Official Language Act of 1974 , also known as Bill 22, is an act of the National Assembly of Quebec which made French the sole official language of Quebec, a province of Canada...
. Council members were initially appointed by the provincial government, although in later years they were appointed by the various school boards on the Island of Montreal
Island of Montreal
The Island of Montreal , in extreme southwestern Quebec, Canada, is located at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers. It is separated from Île Jésus by the Rivière des Prairies....
. By the end of the council's existence, its primary responsibility was to facilitate tax collection and distribute revenue to schools with low-income students. Its budget in 2002 was $5.4 million, of which $2.2 million was directed toward tax collection.
In late 2002, Education minister Sylvain Simard
Sylvain Simard
Sylvain Simard is a politician and academic based in the Canadian province of Quebec. He has represented Richelieu in the National Assembly of Quebec since 1994 and was a cabinet minister in the governments of Lucien Bouchard and Bernard Landry. Simard is a member of the Parti Québécois .-Early...
oversaw passage of a bill abolishing the council and replacing it with a seven-member committee comprising the directors-general of Montreal's five school boards and two representatives of the province's education department. Some council members charged that Simard's decision was intended as punishment for the council's refusal the previous year to implement a provincial directive to raise taxes. Simard rejected this, arguing that the council's abolition would save $900,000 and that the replacement committee could better facilitate the redistribution of funds. He also noted that the Commission scolaire de Montréal
Commission scolaire de Montréal
Commission scolaire de Montréal is a French-language school board located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The school board was created on July 1, 1998, as a result of a law passed by the Quebec government that changed the school board system from denominational to linguistic...
and the Commission scolaire de la Pointe-de-l'Île
Commission scolaire de la Pointe-de-l'Île
The Commission scolaire de la Pointe-de-l'Île is a francophone school board in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, based primarily in the city's east end. It was created by the government of Quebec on July 1, 1998, as part of a general restructuring from school boards representing religious communities to...
had previously called for the council to be abolished.