The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (in

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

: Ministère de l’Éducation et de l'Enseignement supérieur, abbreviated as MEES) is the government ministry of

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirte ...

that governs

education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty ...

, recreation, and sports. The minister is the individual who has the political responsibility for the regulation and oversight of educational services offered in the province as well as for the Ministry of Education.

History

The Quebec government abolished the Ministry of Public Instruction in 1875 to submit to the

ultramontane Ultramontanism is a clerical political conception within the Catholic Church that places strong emphasis on the prerogatives and powers of the Pope. It contrasts with Gallicanism, the belief that popular civil authority—often represented by th ...

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

which considered education the domain of the family and the Church, not the state. Under the new provincial government of

Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of governm ...

Jean Lesage Jean Lesage (; 10 June 1912 – 12 December 1980) was a Canadian lawyer and politician from Quebec. He served as the 19th premier of Quebec from 22 June 1960 to 16 June 1966. Alongside Georges-Émile Lapalme, René Lévesque and others, he is o ...

, in 1964 a Ministry of Education was established with

Paul Gérin-Lajoie Paul Gérin-Lajoie, (; February 23, 1920 – June 25, 2018) was a Canadians, Canadian lawyer, philanthropist, and a former member of the National Assembly of Quebec and Executive Council of Quebec, Cabinet Minister. Early life Born in Montr ...

appointed the first Minister of Education since 1875. For the majority of the time since the creation of the position, the minister has been responsible for both the period including up to and including secondary education and post-secondary education.

Ministers of education

Ministers of higher education

Between 1984 and 1994, a second cabinet position was dedicated to higher education in addition to the position responsible for primary and secondary education. Premier

Pauline Marois Pauline Marois (; born March 29, 1949) is a retired Canadian politician, who served as the 30th premier of Quebec from 2012 to 2014. Marois had been a member of the National Assembly in various ridings since 1981 as a member of the Parti Québ� ...

has restored this function with the nomination of

Pierre Duchesne Pierre Duchesne (born February 27, 1940) was the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec and former secretary general of the National Assembly of Quebec. As lieutenant governor he was the viceregal representative of Queen Elizabeth II of Canada in ...

on September 19, 2012. Following the 2014 election, the function was re-merged with Education. It was re-created in 2016 following Pierre Moreau's leave of absence for health reasons, in which his responsibilities were divided. Under

François Legault François Legault (; born May 26, 1957) is a Canadian politician serving as the 32nd premier of Quebec since 2018. A member of the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ), he has led the party since its founding in 2011. Legault sits as a member of the ...

Coalition Avenir Québec The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ; , ) is a Quebec nationalist, autonomist and conservativeelected Elected may refer to: * "Elected" (song), by Alice Cooper, 1973 * ''Elected'' (EP), by Ayreon, 2008 *The Elected, an American indie rock band See also *Election An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population ...

in 2018, the position was briefly re-merged again, but reinstated in June 2020 as part of a shuffle. The following persons have served as Quebec's Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology.

References

External links

Ministry of Education, Recreation and Sports

Ministry of Education, Recreation and Sports

* {{Quebec Government Departments

Education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty ...

Education in Quebec

History

Ministers of education

Ministers of higher education

Further reading

References

External links