Quebec Know-How in Education:
A Guarantee of Excellence
Learning Knows no Boundaries
Cooperative for educational development
and exchange services
É d u catio n in ter n atio na le — l earn ing kno ws no bo undaries
Organizational Profile
of the Cooperative
Founded in April 2001, Éducation internationale
is a cooperative for development and exchange
services in education established to bring
together the international activities of Quebec
school boards.
Members of the Cooperative
The mission of Éducation internationale
is to offer and coordinate quality
services intended to draw together,
support and represent its members
in their internationalization of
educational activities.
Éducation internationale is a not-for-profit cooperative which belongs to
Quebec’s Francophone and Anglophone school boards and which includes
the majority of them. It also includes several organizations and associations
which provide services to the school boards. The ministère de l’Éducation,
du Loisir et du Sport du Québec (MELS – the Québec Ministry of Education,
Leisure and Sport) grants an annual subsidy to cover part of the organization’s
base of operations. The balance results from member fees, various grants and
cooperative and international development activities.
Spheres of operation of the Cooperative
The activities of Éducation internationale are organized in terms of four main
spheres of operation inspired by the strategy of internationalization in Quebec
education from the ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport du Québec.
1. International mobility: exchanges abroad among students, teachers
and managers. This deals with the development of exchange possibilities
for students, teachers and managers from Quebec and encouragement
toward international networking on the part of Quebec educational
institutions, in particular through peer matching with overseas institutions.
2. The development of international business: execution of ­international
development projects financed by major international funding
agencies. This facet promotes the export of Quebec know-how in education.
3. The recruitment of foreign students in vocational education. This
involves coordination of the promotion abroad of the opportunity in Quebec
for training in vocational education and management of a program of merit
scholarships for foreign students.
4. Representation to foreign governments and international financial
institutions.
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Members:
• The majority of Quebec school boards;
• The Société de formation à distance (SOFAD:
organization providing distance education);
• The Société de gestion du réseau informatique
des commissions scolaires (GRICS: organization
handling the computer management needs
of the province’s school boards);
• The Centre d’élaboration des moyens
d’enseignement du Québec (CEMEQ:
organization developing education tools and
providing training);
• The Federation of School Boards of Quebec (QBCF);
• The Quebec English School Boards Association
(QESBA).
Éd u cation i ntern ationa le — learn i ng k no ws no bou n daries
The export of Quebec know-how
in education
The Quebec school board network has been in existence for
over 150 years, and Éducation internationale was established to
offer, on the international scene, this outstanding know-how in
decentralized and devolved management of educational services.
Éducation internationale is a one-stop service provider bringing
together the largest pool of specialists in the field of education
in Quebec. Working in cooperation with Éducation internationale
and its members means, first and foremost, reaping the benefits
of the expertise and involvement of institutions (establishments
for pre-school, primary and secondary education, centres for
vocational and adult education, school boards, the federation
and association, the Ministry and affiliated organizations), and
not merely the expertise of individual consultants.
The resources of Éducation internationale lie in specialists who
have developed within member institutions and are recognized in
their milieu for their expertise and their ability to adapt and transfer
their knowledge in a variety of economic and cultural contexts.
Those specialists who are posted to international mandates can
draw on the ongoing technical and scientific support of their peers
in Quebec by means of support and coaching teams.
Since its creation, Éducation internationale
has led in numerous international
development projects financed by, among
others, the African Development Bank,
the Canadian International Development
Agency, the ministère de l’Éducation,
du Loisir et du Sport du Québec and the
ministère des Relations internationales du
Québec. The cooperative is familiar with
results-based management, an approach
which is encouraged by many international
financial backers. Éducation internationale,
in the carrying out of its international projects,
gives priority to cooperative efforts with
partner institutions and local experts.
The special areas
of expertise of Éducation
internationale,
in terms of exporting
Quebec know-how,
are as follows:
• The institutional and organizational analysis
of educational systems;
• Leadership in educational reform;
• The evaluation of educational policies;
• The implementation in education of policies
of decentralization and devolution;
• Strengthening abilities in school management
at both ministry and institutional levels;
• Setting up new study courses in vocational
education using a competency-based
approach;
• The evaluation of the needs of personnel
in professional development;
• Training for teachers, school directors,
educational consultants, school inspectors
and administrators;
• The design and revision of curricula;
• Improvement of the adequacy of training
for the needs of the labour market;
• Improvement in student retention and
the integration of out-of-school individuals.
In matters of the export of Quebec know-how, Éducation
­internationale and its members have worked effectively for the
success of several international development projects in Africa,
South America and the Caribbean. Moreover, through its activities
involving international mobility and the recruitment of foreign
students, Éducation internationale and its members are present
on all continents.
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É d u catio n in ter n atio na le — l earn ing kno ws no bo undaries
Areas of involvement
by Éducation internationale in
international development
projects
School Administration
• Strengthening institutional capacities in school management;
• Institutional and organizational audits of educational systems;
• Support in the implementation of educational reform;
• Evaluation, development and setting up of educational policies;
• Preparation of strategic plans, action plans and institutional development plans;
• Support for decentralization and devolution of school administrations;
• Development of information and management systems;
• Development of mechanisms for participative management;
• Retraining in human, material and financial resource management;
• Development of computer and telecommunications tools;
• Management of a complex network, covering a vast territory and serving
a low- density school clientele in remote regions.
Educational Methods and training
• Assessment of the adequacy of the training offer in light
of the needs of the labour market;
• Preliminary feasibility studies for the setting up of new study
courses for training;
• D
esign and setting up of training programs
(basic education, vocational training and adult education);
• Development of teaching materials and school textbooks;
• Training of instructors;
• Introduction of information and communication technologies;
• Development of tools for learning assessment;
• Development of material and tools for distance education;
• Establishment of institutional structures for the management
of distance education;
• Improvement of access to education for girls;
• Literacy and non-formal education.
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Éd u cation i ntern ationa le — learn i ng k no ws no bou n daries
Strategies for teaching and integration into
the labour market
• Introduction of the competency-based approach (CBA) in basic
and vocation education;
• Carrying out of work situation analysis with businesses in order to define
the competencies exercised in the competency-based approach;
• Work-study programs;
• Youth entrepreneurship;
• Programs focused on sports and arts;
• Setting up of centres de formation en entreprise et récupération School
(education centers offering in-house training and recycling programs);
• Management and special program design for drop-outs;
• Integration of training in a community environment;
• Customized training programs for business.
International project management in education
• Feasibility and needs studies;
• Development and implementation of projects;
• Administrative and financial management;
• Impact assessment studies;
• Mastery of results-based management;
• Mastery of intervention in gender equality issues;
• Program management for internships and academic awards.
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É d u catio n in ter n atio na le — l earn ing kno ws no bo undaries
Éducation internationale:
a one-stop service provider to access
the expertise of the Quebec school
board network
The Quebec school board network
Under the guiding hand of some 1,300 commissioners chosen through general elections,
school boards are local authorities who offer quality educational services adapted to the
educational needs of youth and adults, as well as businesses and organizations on their
territory. More specifically, they organize pre-school, primary and secondary education along
with vocational education for both youth and adults. Their task also involves offering a variety
of services to the community. They carry out a mission of prime importance, one which lies
at the very heart of any community’s development.
An outstanding educational system
• Decentralized et devolved;
• Concerned about socio-economic development in communities;
• Using success-oriented teaching methods;
• Using the competency-based approach in both vocational
and basic education;
• Sensitive to the needs of the labour market;
• Respectful of cultural and linguistic diversity;
• Adapted to the specific life-long needs of students.
Roles and responsibilities of school boards
General responsibilities: school boards ensure that individuals on their territory receive
the educational services to which they are entitled. They set up school and training centres,
admit students, organize services and the transport of students. They ensure that institutions
provide educational services and work together for the social and cultural development of
the community.
Planning and accountability: school boards set up a multi-year strategic plan and ensure
that every institution is equipped with an educational plan (adaptation and enrichment of
the national study program) accompanied by a success plan, which they promote. They keep
the population informed of the services offered and give an account to citizens and to the
ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport regarding the enacting of the strategic plan
and the results attained.
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Éd u cation i ntern ationa le — learn i ng k no ws no bou n daries
The school board network is composed of:
• 72 school boards, 60 Francophone,
9 Anglophone and 3 with special status
(native communities);
• 2,500 public schools (pre-school,
primary and secondary education);
• 200 vocational training centres;
• 200 adult education centres;
• 170 vocational training programs in
21 training sectors;
• 1,200,000 registered students;
• 170,000 employees, the majority of
whom provide direct services to students;
• 9 billion dollars Canadian in annual
operating and investment budget.
Basic school regulation: school boards ensure the application of academic
standards and support the schools in their adaptation and application.
Study program: school boards ensure the application of programs set up by
the Ministry and support them in their application and enrichment of national
level programs as well as in the development of local study programs adapted
to the needs of the school clientele on their territory.
Teaching methods, textbooks and teaching materials: school boards ensure
that schools use only those textbooks and materials which have been approved
by the Ministry. These are made available to students free of charge.
Assessment of learning and diplomas: school boards ensure student learning
assessment on the part of schools and the administration of examinations
sanctioned by the Ministry. They establish the criteria for promotion from primary
to secondary school and support institutions in the development of standards
and the terms of learning assessment.
Management of human resources: school boards are the employer of the
staff in all the educational institutions on their territory. They appoint their
general director and the school directors and allocate personnel. They support
schools in the organization of ongoing training for personnel and in coaching
activities for new teachers or school directors.
Management of financial resources: school boards may levy a school tax on their territory. They apportion, among their institutions,
the financial resources available (Ministry subsidy and income from the school tax) and make public the criteria for this apportionment.
School boards adopt and transmit to the Ministry their budget for each school year and approve the budgets of their schools.
Property management: school boards are the owners of the buildings which they make available to their institutions. They allocate
these and provide schools with the corresponding goods and services.
National organizations offering services to school boards
Among the members of Éducation internationale are three national organizations whose mission involves the offer of specific services
to school boards to assist them in the adoption of efficient and innovative work practices:
• T he Société de formation à distance des commissions scolaires (SOFAD: organization providing distance education), whose mission is
to produce distance learning materials for adult education, vocational education and continuing education in the workplace.
• T he Société de gestion des réseaux informatiques des commissions scolaires (GRICS: organization handling the computer management
needs of the province’s school boards), which is composed of the greatest concentration in North America of developers, analysts,
specialists and consultants in computer science and telecommunications in the field of education.
• The Centre d’élaboration des moyens d’enseignement du Québec (CEMEQ: organization developing education tools and providing
training), whose mission is the designing of educational solutions to enable the organization and delivery of professional and technical
teaching services through training modules according to the competency-based approach.
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É d u catio n in ter n atio na le — l earn ing kno ws no bo undaries
The Quebec School
System
School Board
Primary education Pre-school education
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
Secondary education
6th
Kindergarten Kindergarten
4 years
5 years
Collegial education General stream (5 years)
1st
2nd
3rd
University education
1st level
2nd level
3rd level
Bachelor’s
3 or 4 years
Master’s
2 years
Doctorate
pre-university education (2 years)
4th
5th
Technical training (3 years)
Vocational education
AEP
DEP
ASP
Labour market
AEP : Certificate of professional studies • DEP : Diploma of vocational studies • ASP : Certificate of professional specialization
Note: The vocational education programs lead to involvement in specialized or semi-specialized trades.
The competency-based approach
Since 1986, the competency-based approach has served in vocational education to define the skills inherent in the practice of a profession
and to develop study programs. This approach is based on the analysis of training needs as expressed by labour market specialists (workers,
businesses, sectional policy committees). It requires that areas of training be defined and that training needs be outlined for each of
these, in terms of quantity (workforce and business characteristics, prospects for advancement, regional particularities, etc.) and quality.
The analysis of the work situation (AST) is a structured method used to gather information on the needs of businesses in the training of
their workforce. Following a careful analysis of the tasks carried out and the working conditions in a trade, in detailed consultation with
businesses and workers, the skills are determined which will be integrated into the study programs. In this way, these study programs
are tailored to correspond to the requirements of the labour market, in terms of program content as well as regional coverage of the
training proposal and the number of trained graduates.
The school boards
oversee 170 vocational education
programs, divided in 21 sectors:
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Administration, Commerce
and Computer Technology
Electronics
Mechanical Manufacturing
Agriculture and Fisheries
Fashion, Leather and textiles
Metallurgical Technology
Arts
Food Services and Tourism
Mining and Site Operations
Beauty Care
Forestry and Pulp and Paper
Motorized Equipment Maintenance
Buildings and Public Works
Health Services
Social, Educational and Legal Services
Chemistry and Biology
Land Use Planning and Environment
Transportation
Communications and Documentation
Maintenance Mechanics
Wood and Related Materials
Éd u cation i ntern ationa le — learn i ng k no ws no bou n daries
Network achievements
• Active participation of all school board network players in three major reforms of the
Quebec educational system over the course of the last twenty years;
• Decentralization, since 1845, of the training offer and its management, by the establishment
of school boards in all Quebec regions. Services are provided in the outlying territories
and in hard-to-reach regions with low population density.
• Work-study options (ATE), offered in several vocational education programs, enable
students to gain vocational experience in the course of a training period in the workplace;
• T he integration of information and communications technologies (ICT) into the various
training programs, promoting the creative use of technology to serve teaching needs and
the development of real-time and delayed-time distance education;
• Since 1990, the establishment of 19 centres de formation en entreprise et récupération
(CFER: education centers offering in-house training and recycling programs), one
example of innovation in education targeting youth with adaptation or learning
difficulties, who have not completed their secondary studies. The CFERs
have resulted in the setting up of numerous businesses in the field of
recycling and several centres have become financially independent
with the income generated by businesses set up within their walls;
• Numerous programs whose aim is to develop entrepreneurship
at the primary, secondary and vocational education levels, in
particular the challenge of youth entrepreneurship and the CAPE
project (design instructional activities in entrepreneurship);
• Operating in a bilingual environment (French and English) in
the context of the various member institutions of Éducation
internationale.
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É d u catio n in ter n atio na le — l earn ing kno ws no bo undaries
Administrative monitoring of projects:
Éducation internationale’s
guarantee of quality
In all the international development projects which it
spearheads, Éducation internationale ensures administrative support and logistics to carry out the mandate
efficiently, rationally and professionally in terms of the
quality of service provided, the budget and the ­timeline
set forth.
Support from the headquarters of Éducation internationale involves:
• Ongoing involvement in the drafting of project methodology and the design of timelines
and budgets;
• Logistic and technical support of the project’s key personnel and of mission preparations
right up to the final presentation of reports;
• Administrative and financial management of projects, contract negotiation and the giving
of account to the client;
• Case-specific support for certain project tasks following the expression of a need on the part
of the team leader;
• A role in quality assurance, should a consultant become unavailable (illness, accident, etc.),
which Éducation internationale can provide based on its internal resources and its large
network of consultants, that enable it to replace, as required, an unavailable consultant
with another of equal or superior qualifications;
• Ongoing monitoring of projects to confirm their quality, the attainment of results,
and compliance with budgets and timelines.
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Éd u cation i ntern ationa le — learn i ng k no ws no bou n daries
All projects involving international development fall under the supervision of:
Étienne G. Juneau, General Director
Holder of a university degree in international management, Mr. Juneau boasts more than ten
years experience in development, supervision and management of international development
projects. He speaks three languages (French, English and Spanish) and has benefited from
numerous stays of short, medium and long duration in Africa and Latin America.
The person mandated for the coordination of administrative, financial and logistic
monitoring of international development projects at the office of Éducation internationale is:
Marise St-Pierre, Program Manager, International Business Development With an earned doctorate in anthropology, Ms St-Pierre has fifteen years experience in
teaching and research at both national and international levels. She counts some ten
years of experience in international development and international project management,
as well as in administration and business development. Fluent in French, English, Spanish
and Vietnamese, she has worked primarily in Asia, Latin America and Africa.
Éducation internationale provides
unparalleled support to its members for
the carrying out of their own projects in
international development
as well as projects
in combinedefforts with
the cooperative:
• Training in the execution of international development projects and the financing
of international projects;
• Review of projects under development or in progress, review of contracts;
• Coaching of school boards in the establishment of a service involving international
cooperation;
• Support in participation in the international call for tender process and the procuring
of contracts in international development;
• Execution of regional and sectional market studies;
• Representation to international financial backers;
• Negotiation of agreements with international partners;
• Management of a consultant bank;
• Administrative and financial management of international projects;
• Reception of foreign delegations and organization of overseas missions;
• Preliminary project feasibility studies and post-project results assessment.
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www.education-internationale.com
301, rue des Peupliers Est, bureau A
Québec (Québec) G1L 1S6
CANADA
Phone : +1 418 651-4667
Fax : +1 418 266-0774
[email protected]