1600s and 1700s
Formal education in Quebec began almost four hundred years ago, with the arrival of the Ursuline nuns to Lower Canada, 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. It was the only institution to offer both primary and secondary instruction throughout the French régime. The Quebec Seminary opened in 1663 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 founded Université Laval. 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 initially 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 of the 1960s.
1800s
Higher Education in Quebec was established at the base of Mont Royal in Montreal when James McGill left £10,000 and a forty-six acre estate for the founding of a university in 1821. Eight years later classes at McGill 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 was founded in Quebec City as the first major French Language 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 and rural Quebec traditions. Twenty years later (1873) the École Polytechnique opened in Montreal. Then in 1896, Loyola College 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 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. Similar in nature to Bishop's University, it was created to meet the needs of francophones in Quebec.
1945 - 1959: - Period of rapid economic and population growth: due to high birth rate and immigration - Postwar industrial development led to a new middle class (Quebec society was still rural and was categorized according to religion and language) - French Quebec had the highest elementary school drop out rate (52% from grade 2 to grade 8) in Canada, and English Quebec the lowest (10%). - classical colleges: organized to provide a classical and general education, rather than meet postwar needs for science, technology and commerce. - colleges were vulnerable: they "depended upon volunteer religious teachers, and the curriculum focused almost entirely on the humanities".
By 1959, there were three French-language universities: Laval, Montreal and 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 William. Prior to 1960, Francophone Quebec had been traditionally loyal to the church, had an elitist view of society and separated from economic concerns. The church was the authority in education in the province.
The National Film Board of Canada 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 was elected as premier 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, 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).
The Parent Report: Democratization and Access to higher education were priorities for the Quebec Government. Therefore, the government recognized the need for development of its educational resources, which led to the Parent Commission, a mandate to investigate the entire educational system in Quebec. This commission conducted public hearings, visited more than 50 institutions throughout the province, interviewed more than 200 experts, and visited educational institutions in other provinces, in the USA and Europe. Democratization of the system and Access to students were the key words in the report, and the access referred to students were not being prevented by geography or finances from going as far as possible in the system. A universal right to education was unquestioned. This premise was revolutionary, because the post-compulsory education (after the age of 14) was a privilege or a luxury, not suitable for everyone.
According to Henchey and Burgess, there have been five major changes to the Quebec Higher Education system since the 1960s:
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 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 with the higher degree of skilled labour required in the industrialized province. In 1969, ÉNAP (École Nationale d'Administration Publiques) forms as the Public Administration University., and in October 1972, Télé-université 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.
The establishment of CEGEPS and the University of Quebec System changed the institutional patterns.
In 1967, Bill 21 established the CÉGEPs. 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 opened in 1969 as the first English language CEGEP. Three years later (1971), there were forty CÉGEPs. The current (2015) 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, a Bachelor of Science degree took an English student four years of attending 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 system was created in 1968, though the passing of Bill 88. It was modelled after state university systems in New York State and California. It was developed with a central administration office located in 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 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.
The Seventies: Decade of Planning and Development
During this decade post-secondary enrollments multiplied once again. Cégep enrollments doubled in the two-year pre-university programs and tripled in the three-year technical programs. Five English language Cégeps (four public and one private) came into full operation. Technical institutes and most classical colleges were integrated. Most universities were unionized, and differing visions of teachers and administrators over college policies and working conditions meant conflict and turbulence. In the universities, the student population increased by 87% in full-time programs, with an increase in part-time from 1/3 to ½ of the university population. The student population had a more heterogeneous background, and increased the numbers of women and older students. 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.
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 was passed to establish 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.
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. 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.
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."
During the eighties, the number of students enrolled in post-secondary studies once again exceeded the forecasts. Forecast for 1986 was 100,000 students in the colleges - actual number: 160,000. In the universities - forecast: 90,000 student, and the actual number of enrollments were 115,000.
A major recession in 1981-1982 led to increased levels of unemployment, reduction of salaries, a series of budget cuts to the universities. As a consequence, left the universities to deal with increasing number of students with reduced resources.
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.
In 2012, Quebec government cut almost half of the funding of universities in their budget, around 250 million, and suggested to increase the tuition fees. The universities were in trouble. For example, in Concordia University, there was a $13.2 million less comparing the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 fiscal year. The costs were required to be decreased. In the 2013-2014 fiscal year, the academic sector had to reduce costs by 2.5% while others reduced by 6.6%. Quebec students were angry about the tuition fee hike and organized strikes to protest against it.
After experiencing 3-months' protest against university tuition fee hike in 2012, five policy projects instituted in 2013 Higher Education Summit. The policy project on university funding is paid great attention to. The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal offers a few basic principles and orientations for this policy project, which indicates some ideas of the future of higher education in Quebec. The first principle is that the government is assigned the permanent and essential responsibility to solve the problem of university underfunding. Secondly, the policy should respect the diversity of universities and stimulate their performance. The policy should aim to ensure greater access, to maintain good quality of higher education as well as to increase international visibility through retain prominent talent, professors and researchers from all over the world. Meanwhile, the policy should encourage university performance by recognizing the diversity of the university network and respecting the autonomy of universities. Thirdly, there should be a funding formula that enhancing universities. For example, the field of study should be considered to adjust tuition fees. The Ceiling on tuition for students from outside could be lifted. There could be mandatory institutional fees to provide extra funding for the universities.