From Stadacona to the REM · Drawing 25 of 36
Schools Are Changing
1964
In 1964, Québec created a Ministry of Education to look after its schools. The goal was to help more young people stay in school longer. At school, children discover, ask questions and learn together.
Look together
What would you like to learn at school?
An idea to try
Ask your child to name people who help them learn. Draw some roles around an imaginary school: teaching, welcoming, preparing rooms or organizing.
For the adult reading along
A little more to discover
During the 1960s, Québec transformed its education system. The Parent Commission, created in 1961, studied needs and proposed reforms. In 1964, a law created the Ministry of Education and the Conseil supérieur de l’éducation; Paul Gérin-Lajoie became minister. The reforms aimed, among other things, to broaden access to education. They did not create Québec’s first schools or instantly give everyone the same opportunities. The ministry shares responsibility for the system with other institutions and the people working in schools.
The picture chooses an arrival at school to make the subject concrete. You can explain that beyond the people in the classroom, other adults decide how schools are organized. The building drawn is fictional; it is neither the ministry nor a school opened in 1964.
Sources and illustration notes (2)
Arrival at a fictional school in the 1960s; the building does not represent the ministry.
These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. References identify the institution and the related lesson; some linked pages are in French.
- Bibliothèque de l’Assemblée nationale - Création du ministère de l’Éducation, 1964 (in French)The 1964 Act creating the Department of Education (ministère de l’Éducation) and the Conseil supérieur de l’éducation; reorganization of the institutions.
- Radio-Canada — La commission Parent, une révolution tranquille dans l’enseignement (in French)Commission created in 1961, report released from 1963 to 1966, some 500 recommendations; the department in 1964; CEGEPs in 1967.
Page prepared on September 19, 2026. Illustrations simplify places and scenes; they are not historical documents.
This drawing is from the book Québec’s Great Moments to Colour
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