Bryan Laprise
Local Journalism Initiative
According to Mélissa Généreux, a professor in the Université de Sherbrooke’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Services, recently announced budget cuts to the education sector could bear many consequences for students.
School is one of the primary factors that contribute to the development of youth, shared the professor. It is a place that also enables physical activity and the creation of friendships and healthy lifestyles.
“It’s quite evident that the school environment, where we spend 12 years of our life, becomes not only a place where we learn, but an environment where we develop, flourish and grow. We learn, develop interests and hobbies, we create connections. It’s really a place that has a big influence on the health, development and wellbeing of kids,” Généreux stated.
Every aspect of a school’s services can directly influence its students, from the school menu to activities offered. The professor provided the example of school grounds. If there is space and equipment for the kids to play sports, such as soccer or basketball, it can influence their level of physical activity (and thus, their health), the friendships they make and their ability to socialize. “The more inviting spaces there are to socialize and play, the more infrastructure and materials there are, counts a lot.”
Not only does this include outdoor space for play and sports, but indoor spaces as well, for activities like arts and crafts and theatre.
“What scares me about the cuts, is that these are among the first things that will be cut,” Généreux said.
She mentioned the school grounds near to where she lives. Previously, the basketball court was run down, the nets were falling apart, and the pavement was uneven. Two years ago, it was redone with a fresh—even—coat of pavement, new nets and lines on the ground. Généreux said that this fundamentally changed how students used the facilities.
Not only do the kids play basketball during school hours, but they also play after school ends. The professor explained that it also revived neighborhood life. Now, there are impromptu tournaments between people living in the area while others sit by the court to watch.
“There was really a unifying effect. It makes kids physically active, brings them off of screens and makes them socialize. Just with two basketball nets, there was an incredible impact on a whole community, so it shows that every time there’s a decision to improve—or not improve—school grounds, there can be a domino effect on the wellbeing of youth,” explained Généreux.
A crucial aspect of the extracurricular programs offered in schools is the personnel that take time to organize activities for the benefit of students. If their workload increases with personnel cuts, they may no longer have the time nor energy to make these clubs or activities happen, even if there may not be direct costs associated to them.
This may especially impact more reserved students who are more at ease in small-group activities such as a chess club. Nonetheless, these require staff and space, which may not be possible amid cuts.
With fewer support staff in classrooms, teachers will have to deal with more disruptions whichi will be detrimental to the rest of the class.
For some students, school can act as a security net, where kids from families and neighborhoods all have the same opportunities, creating social equality.
A general expectation is for students to arrive at school ready to sit down, listen and learn. However, some students need extra support to make it to the same place as their peers, from difficulties in reading, comprehension, maintaining attention or expressing themselves.
School services allow for those students to acquire necessary life skills, such as dealing with emotions and maintaining a social network. These include homework help, speech therapy, special education, psychology and psychoeducation. According to Généreux, these are “completely essential” for students with learning challenges.
“If these services are cut, it can increase the inequalities between the youth that upon arrival have more challenges than others. […] In my opinion, with Quebec values, everyone should have the same chances and support to go through challenges,” she said.
Long-term deprivation of these services may, for some students, lead to more failures in school, decreased motivation and self-esteem. In turn, some students may drop out of school and not reach their full professional potential.
Dropping out of school can affect an individual’s critical thinking skills and leave them without some of the civic literacy skills acquired in school on how to be a good citizen.
“If cohorts of students are more at risk of dropping out, not learning as well and not developing their critical thinking, slowly, it can lead to a society that is less educated, less literate with a smaller capacity to have a critical view of what happens in everyday life,” predicted Généreux, mentioning the current polarization of views on issues like healthcare and the environment.
The professor pointed to cultural trips to places like a museum. While some schools may be able to ask parents for financial contribution to make outings possible, more disadvantaged sectors may not be able to do the same without government support.
A poorly maintained building would also bring its share of consequences for students. From water leaks that could cause mold to outdated windows, insulation and ventilation that could lead to lower levels of air quality.
Generally, the professor views cuts to education as cuts to health. There are many prevention and awareness campaigns in schools that lower the demand and strain on the healthcare system. If these initiatives are reduced, it could lead to bigger consequences.
“I hope that the government realizes that by doing this, ultimately, this will lead to bigger psychosocial and health problems. Someone will pay the price, but with graver consequences, and, probably, higher costs,” finished Généreux.