In February 2004, the MEI published an Economic Note on tuition fees and their effects on access to university studies. Since then, the Quebec government announced that fees would rise cumulatively by $50 per semester from 2007 to 2012. It is still not known what policy will be adopted after 2012. To this day, Quebec tuition fees are still lower than their 1994-1995 level in real terms. This Economic Note is an update which aims to examine the university tuition fee situation in Quebec.

Publication of an Economic Note on university financing.

Teaching religion in Quebec schools.

Publication of the Portrait of Quebec High Schools.

How to deal with high school dropout rate in Québec.

This new Portrait of Quebec High Schools is intended as a tool to serve at once the needs of parents and the needs of those who manage the school system. It is supplemented by an interactive Web tool that supplies a complete set of information to be consulted by both sets of people.

The Quebec government plans to raise university tuition fees by $50 per term until 2011-2012. Few studies up to now have assessed how this “unfreezing” policy will affect university financing and student enrolment. Moreover, no announcement has hinted at the tuition policy for university studies to be applied after 2012. This Economic Note begins a reflection on the type of policy that could be adopted to ensure long-term financing for universities.

Publication of an Economic Note on the importance of vocational training in Quebec’s education system.

With the population aging and many people soon to retire, numerous positions will have to be filled in the next few years in specialized trades and techniques. As a result, the wages associated with these jobs are becoming increasingly attractive. Because most politicians and journalists have attended university, there is often a tendency in public debates to forget the importance of vocational training. At the same time, the number of high school dropouts remains a serious problem in Quebec, with one-fifth of 19-year-olds in this situation. This phenomenon deserves greater attention so as to keep more youths from starting their working lives on the wrong foot.

Eleven ideas from the MEI for getting Quebec out of its torpor.