Katherine Korakakis of EPCA leads bold call for reform in Quebec’s education system

Tashi Farmilo

Katherine Korakakis, President of the English Parents Committee Association (EPCA), is calling for a sweeping rethinking of Quebec’s education priorities. At the centre of her demands: more funding for mental health and special needs services, better support for educators, and the integration of mental health education into the provincial curriculum.

“The needs of students are going up, while resources are going down,” said Korakakis. “Something’s got to give.” Her remarks follow news of a half-billion-dollar reduction in the province’s education budget, a move she says fundamentally contradicts the needs of children across Quebec. “You can’t gut services and expect outcomes to improve.”

One of Korakakis’s most prominent proposals is the creation of a structured, age-appropriate mental health curriculum, like the way sexual education is currently integrated into the system. “Students should learn how to identify emotions, where those emotions come from, and what tools are available to manage them. This isn’t fluff—it’s foundational,” she said. She emphasized that basic strategies like breathing exercises and emotional labeling should be taught early and systematically. “Once children understand what they’re feeling and why and can work through them, the fear starts to fall away. That’s empowering.”

Korakakis is also alarmed by the chronic shortage of qualified professionals in schools. “We need more psychologists, social workers, special education technicians—the very people who help students when things get hard. Instead, what we’re seeing are cuts. Fewer services, more crises.” She points to EPCA’s latest surveys conducted with public health experts across Quebec, which show that children with special needs are two to three times more likely to report a low quality of life. Their parents, in turn, are twice as likely to report poor mental health. The impact, Korakakis argues, is measurable and deeply inequitable.

She’s particularly concerned about the effects of Bill 96 and other language policies that create additional hurdles for anglophone students, especially those with disabilities. “We’re not against French. I’m fully bilingual. But when you require additional French coursework just to access post-secondary education, you’re shutting out children with documented language disorders,” she said. “That’s not just an academic barrier—it’s a life barrier.” These policies, she added, have contributed to a narrowing of future opportunities for many students with learning differences. “You can’t talk about equity if you don’t accommodate real needs.”

Korakakis is equally critical of how funding is allocated. “Funding must be equitable, not equal. Equal funding ignores the realities of English school boards that are constrained by enrolment caps due to language laws. These schools still must provide services, innovate, maintain infrastructure—just like everyone else. If you fund them equally, you’re effectively underfunding them.” She says a funding model based on actual need, not raw headcounts, would be far more just and effective.

Despite the criticism, Korakakis is not content with advocacy alone. Under her leadership, EPCA has been actively collecting data, organizing parent workshops, distributing resources, and building coalitions with healthcare experts and public institutions. “We’re not just raising the alarm. We’re offering evidence, solutions, and support.” This includes an annual survey, which this year again showed troubling trends in screen addiction, social anxiety, and bullying—all linked to deteriorating student well-being. “We’re seeing kids burn out, shut down, and drop out,” she said. “And families are struggling alongside them.”

In her eyes, it all comes down to priorities. “Everyone says they care about children. But where you spend your money tells the real story. Right now, education isn’t being treated as a priority. And that must change.”

For more information about the English Parents Committee Association (EPCA), to sign up for workshops, access resources, or subscribe to the newsletter, visit: epcaquebec.org.