Our Investigation Office specializes in the art of establishing the facts. Throughout the election campaign, our researchers present their findings to you to flush out the surprising, dubious or downright false statements of the candidates, and allow you to see them more clearly.

THE STATEMENT

CAQ MP Mario Asselin wrote on Twitter last week that "this received idea that there is "student selection" in private educational institutions in Quebec is one of the most persistent myths."

He adds in another Tweet that “private schools remain accessible to the vast majority of parents in Quebec and moreover, a large number of students with learning difficulties find themselves there. »

FACTS

Private schools do not all have an entrance exam, but almost all have a student selection process.

Interviews, workshops on social skills, placement tests, selection according to academic results, drawing lots... The means of selection in private schools are varied.

L’Heure Juste analyzed the admissions processes of all primary and/or secondary private schools in Quebec with 300 or more students, excluding denominational schools and those specifically for students with learning disabilities.

It shows that out of 121 schools, only 21 do not have a selection process based on academic excellence, admission tests and/or meetings. Moreover, 11 of these schools have not detailed the admission process on their websites, so it could be that some also select their students based on academic results.

Moreover, it is also not true that private schools are “accessible to the vast majority of parents”. Financial constraints limit access to many students, with high admission and tuition fees. And several regions have few or no private schools. For example, there is no private school in Abitibi-Témiscamingue and only one on the North Shore. A review by La Presse in 2020 also reported that more than 75% of private schools are in urban areas. In 2020-2021, 80% of secondary school students attended public schools.

Mario Asselin did not respond to our request for explanations.