The higher education minister is leaving the door open to banning initiations after a report about degrading behaviour at Université de Sherbrooke.
Author of the article:
La Presse Canadienne
Caroline Plante
Published Mar 26, 2024 • 1 minute read
Higher Education Minister Pascale Déry. Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette files
QUEBEC — Higher Education Minister Pascale Déry is considering banning initiations in CEGEPs and universities.
She reacted Tuesday to Radio-Canada’s revelations on the degrading initiations in the biology department of Université de Sherbrooke last fall.
Article content
The minister told journalists at the National Assembly that she had difficulty finishing reading the article, which she said made her blood run cold, because the behaviour described therein was “unacceptable.”
Initiations are subject to rules, but “now, visibly, these rules were not respected,” said Déry, adding she wants to discuss it soon with the establishments.
“I’ll ensure that this doesn’t happen again,” she said.
Could it be time to ban initiations? “The question can be asked, but honestly, I haven’t gotten there yet. … There are advantages and disadvantages to all that,” she replied.
For the moment, Déry said she is satisfied with the measures taken by the university, which promptly launched an investigation. She said she hoped that the organizers of the initiations would eventually face sanctions.
Radio-Canada reported Tuesday that the students in the department were doused in animal urine during initiations at the end of August. Other students were pushed to get naked in public or eat vomit during these activities.
Advertisement 2
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY
There with you then. Here with you now. As a critical part of the community for over 245 years,The Gazette continues to deliver trusted English-language news and coverage on issues that matter. Subscribe now to receive:
Unlimited online access to our award-winning journalism including thought-provoking columns by Allison Hanes, Josh Freed and Bill Brownstein.Opportunity to engage with our commenting community and learn from fellow readers in a moderated forum.Unlimited online access to the Montreal Gazette and National Post, including the New York Times Crossword, and 14 more news sites with one accountSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Montreal Gazette ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, where you can share and comment..
SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
There with you then. Here with you now. As a critical part of the community for over 245 years,The Gazette continues to deliver trusted English-language news and coverage on issues that matter. Subscribe now to receive:
Unlimited online access to our award-winning journalism including thought-provoking columns by Allison Hanes, Josh Freed and Bill Brownstein.Opportunity to engage with our commenting community and learn from fellow readers in a moderated forum.Unlimited online access to the Montreal Gazette and National Post, including the New York Times Crossword, and 14 more news sites with one accountSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Montreal Gazette ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, where you can share and comment..
REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
There with you then. Here with you now. As a critical part of the community for over 245 years,The Gazette continues to deliver trusted English-language news and coverage on issues that matter. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.
Sign In or Create an Account
or
Article content
Article content
>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : Montreal Gazette – https://montrealgazette.com/news/quebec/pascale-dery-says-degrading-university-initiations-are-unacceptable