Quebec funding formula for disadvantaged schools faces criticism

Quebec is facing renewed criticism over how it identifies disadvantaged schools and decides which ones receive extra support. The province has used the IMSE socioeconomic index since 1998 to rank schools from 1 to 10, with higher scores making schools more likely to get additional funding and smaller class sizes. Parents, teachers and school administrators interviewed by RadioCanada say the formula is outdated and can reduce services for students who still need help, even if their school’s situation has not meaningfully improved. Critics argue the system relies on only two factors: whether mothers in a school community have a high school diploma and whether parents are unemployed. The issue has become more pressing after the province updated the index using 2021 census data, which led to lower rankings for 40 schools according to the Fédération autonome de l’enseignement. That change could affect funding next school year, and some administrators say the pandemicera data makes the results less reliable. Quebec’s Education Ministry says it does not plan to change the calculation method, arguing the current indicators remain strongly linked to academic success. Meanwhile, a mother in Montreal’s South Shore has launched a petition calling for a review of the system, and it has gathered thousands of signatures.