Respect is making a comeback in Quebec schools

Quebec’s push for formality is a smart step toward restoring classroom order. Other provinces should follow its example

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Teachers are not students, and students are not teachers. One should never be mistaken for the other in school.

Unfortunately, the line between teachers and students often gets blurred. In a misguided effort to win students over, many teachers go too far trying to ingratiate themselves. Whether it’s dressing too casually, being on a first-name basis or sharing inappropriate details about their personal lives, there are plenty of ways teachers can cross professional boundaries and identify too closely with their students.

I started my first full-time teaching position when I was only 24 years old. Because I was so young, I knew that if I wasn’t careful, students might be tempted to see me as a fellow student rather than an authority figure. So I made sure to dress formally and act professionally. This helped me maintain an appropriate professional distance from my students.

In recent years, growing concerns about classroom discipline, declining respect for authority and teacher burnout have reignited debates across Canada about the need to re-establish professional boundaries in schools.

Throughout my career, however, I’ve seen new teachers try to befriend students and gain their favour. While this approach might seem to work at first, it almost always backfires. Students begin to take advantage, and by the time the teacher tries to tighten things up and enforce rules, it’s often too late.

This is why everyone should take note of what is happening in Quebec right now. Education Minister Bernard Drainville has stated he intends to improve civility in schools by mandating that students address their teachers with formal titles such as Mr. and Ms. More significantly, students would be required to use the formal version of “you” in French—vous rather than tu. In French, tu is used for informal relationships, while vous denotes formality and respect, especially toward elders or authority figures.

Drainville acknowledges this rule isn’t a magic bullet that will instantly fix classroom dynamics. But it does send a clear message that the provincial government understands the importance of maintaining professional boundaries between students and teachers.

There are several reasons why this policy is a good idea.

First, it helps teachers avoid inappropriate personal relationships with students. It’s one thing to be friendly with students; it’s quite another when students think of a teacher as their friend. For example, students are far less likely to exchange personal cellphone numbers with teachers when the relationship is strictly professional.

Second, formality in schools supports better learning. Research shows that students learn best when teachers provide direct, explicit instruction. This is far more likely to happen in classrooms where teachers maintain strong behavioural expectations.

Third, most workplaces expect employees to treat supervisors and managers with a degree of formality, especially at first. It’s beneficial for students to develop the habit of showing appropriate respect to authority figures such as teachers. That habit will serve them well beyond the classroom.

Surprisingly, some Quebec teachers oppose the new policy. The Fédération des syndicats de l’enseignement (FSE-CSQ), which represents about 95,000 teachers, argues that individual teachers should decide how students address them. In other words, if a teacher wants to be on a first-name basis with students, they should be free to do so.

But this argument overlooks the real pressure teachers—especially new ones—face when expectations vary between classrooms. It’s difficult for one teacher to insist on formal student behaviour if their colleague down the hall allows casual interactions.

It’s like the challenge many teachers faced in trying to keep cellphones out of classrooms—until provincial governments stepped in with clear, provincewide bans. The difference has been stark. Once teachers know they have government support, they can focus on teaching rather than negotiating compliance.

Other provinces should follow Quebec’s lead. More formality in schools isn’t just about language—it’s about creating the conditions for effective teaching and respectful learning. That’s something every province should value.

Michael Zwaagstra is a public high school teacher and a senior fellow with the Frontier Centre for Public Policy.