Be meaningful for Hooked on School Days

For several years, Quebec has been mobilizing for the educational success of young people within the framework of School Perseverance Days (JPS), which are celebrated during the 3^e week of February. The 2022 edition will be held from February 14 to 18 under the theme "Thank you for being meaningful".

The challenges of the pandemic that we have been experiencing since 2020 spare no one and even less young people. This year, the Quebec Network for Educational Success (RQRE), instigator of the event, would like to say "Thank you" to those who give meaning to the educational path of young people. All the players in the school environment are of course part of it.

A survey on school perseverance

To mark the start of the JPS 2022, the RQRE unveiled the results of a Leger survey conducted among 500 young Quebecers aged 15 to 22 who are currently studying. While 47 % of young people in school say that the pandemic has had a negative effect on their perception of the future, a large majority (77 %) of them nevertheless see their future with optimism. 

According to the results of the survey, nearly one in three young people (32 %) have considered leaving school in the face of the scale of the health crisis. However, they seem to remain confident and resilient. In fact, 81 % of the respondents indicated that they felt competent and capable of succeeding with regard to the academic goals they had set for themselves and 78 % said they were satisfied with their academic results.

When asked about their motivating factors, 89 % of respondents mentioned being surrounded by at least one person who had a positive influence on their school career. “The general portrait of the survey is encouraging. Young people in school seem resilient and confident about their future, but let's remain vigilant since we know that the situation is currently difficult for young people,” says Audrey McKinnon, Executive Director of the RQRE.

“What the data confirms to us, however, is the importance of encouraging and valuing the young people we meet from near and far. All the gestures of their close or extended circle count and can have a real effect on their school perseverance. »

37 % of young people cite a teacher as being a factor of positive influence on their school perseverance.

The entourage of a young person in school can indeed take on several faces. In the survey, more than half of the respondents (57 %) cite a parent as being a factor of positive influence on their school perseverance; 37 % a teacher; 33 % their circle of friends and 29 % an adult in their family circle other than their parents.

However, it should not be overlooked that one in ten young people (11 %) say they have no positive influence from those around them on their academic progress, a proportion that increases among young people who are not motivated compared to their studies (17 %).

Programming of Hooked on School Days 2022

Until February 18, several activities are taking place across Quebec. On February 16 at 1 p.m., the JPS offer students aged 11 to 14 from all over Quebec a space for discussion with spokesperson Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and his guests during a virtual meeting. From 2:15 p.m., it will be the turn of young people aged 15 to 17 to hear the JDT and its guests talk about self-esteem, commitment and motivation.

To find out more, visit: journeesperseverancescolaire.com

To discover the activities organized by the regional consultation bodies (IRC) within the framework of the JPS, consult the section In your region.

A message from the Montreal Success Network

Our Montreal Success Network (RRM) is the Montreal coordinator of the JPS. The organization invites everyone to take an interest in the issue of school perseverance and to plan a time to encourage the young people around them.

A survey conducted by the University of Sherbrooke and the CIUSSS de l'Estrie – CHUS on the psychological health of 12 to 25 year olds, whose data was published last Wednesday, also mentions a decline in the attractiveness of young people. for the school between 2021 and 2022, underlines the RRM in a press release.

"If we add to this the receipt of a report card with less than expected results, the winter slump and still half a year to go, we can understand that some young people have the impression of being in this moment facing an insurmountable mountain. Yes, young people are resilient, they have demonstrated it. However, we must remain vigilant, among other things by being concerned about these students whose motivation seems to be deteriorating. Our presence and support can really make a difference,” illustrates Andrée Mayer-Périard, RRM's Executive Director.

A message from the Federation of Parents' Committees

The Federation of Parents' Committees of Quebec (FCPQ) is participating once again this year in Hooked on School Days.

“Holded on to School Days is an annual event that always comes at the right time in the month of February, when we notice that motivation and perseverance are difficult for many young people, and even for their parents. It's time to show kindness and be bearers of meaning for our young people. Thank you to all those who make efforts to encourage students to persevere, whether through their words or their individual and collective actions! “, shares Kévin Roy, president of the FCPQ.

The results of recurring surveys conducted by the FCPQ among parents of Quebec students during the last school year indicate that motivation hits a low point in February, showing the relevance of holding this event at this time. The third survey of the 2021-2022 school year is also In progress, coinciding with the delivery of the first bulletin of the year.

The general manager of the FCPQ, Corinne Payne, will also take part in a lunchtime chat with the theme "How to support my child's school perseverance?" », Friday, February 18 at noon, in collaboration with Catherine Ratelle, full professor at the Faculty of Education.

A big contest for Hooked on School Days

Alloprof took advantage of the JPS to launch the Gagner à s'aider contest. It will allow three people to win a scholarship of 1000 TP2T by participating in the Zone d'entraide d'Alloprof. Until April 17, 2022, parents and students are invited to ask a question or provide a school explanation.

“It's a great way to keep young people motivated and to encourage them to help each other and seek help with less well-understood concepts or subjects,” sums up Marc-Antoine Tanguay.

Alloprof also launches for the occasion the series of videos Confessions of parents which puts forward parents who confide in the challenges they face on a daily basis and their little tips about course choices, homework time or exam preparation, for example.

The organization also invites parents, the first allies of academic success, to draw inspiration from the many tips, tricks and tools offered in the Alloprof Parents section, including files to support perseverance and prevent stalling. 

Finally, Alloprof takes the opportunity to recall the results of a national study carried out in collaboration with the Center for Studies on Learning and Performance (CEAP) at UQAM on its impact in a pandemic.

“The results show in particular that Alloprof is a valuable ally in the school career of students, especially when the learning routine is turned upside down,” explains the spokesperson.