Youth success is key to building a stronger and more prosperous Greater Montreal. It is also an important tool in the fight against poverty.
Every student who graduates from high school embarks on a path to a better future and better living conditions. A diploma benefits not only each young person individually but also their family and community.
If they come from a family experiencing poverty, they will also help break a vicious circle, since dropping out increases the risk of experiencing poverty, which in turn increases the risk of dropping out.
This is why all academic perseverance stakeholders, such as schools, community agencies, institutions, and Centraide, are working together to constantly support young people and families on the road to success.
Every student who graduates
We’re on the right track
The graduation rate in Montreal has increased by nearly 19 points over the past nine years, rising from 67.7% in 2009 to 87.1% in 2023. This rate reached 85.2% in Laval and 80.8% in Montérégie.*
This major step forward has come from collaborative work between local partners who take action through the neighbourhood roundtables and regional partners who come together through Montreal Hooked on School and the Regroupement lavallois pour la réussite éducative.
Still too many students drop out
Quick facts about school dropouts in Montreal in 2021.
of young people drop out of school, i.e. 2,146 young people.*
of girls drop out.*
of boys drop out.*
of Quebec dropouts live in Montreal.
In disadvantaged areas
of children starting kindergarten are vulnerable in at least one area of development.
In some neighbourhoods, over one quarter of young people drop out.
Poverty: A key dropout factor
To progress and succeed in school, students need a family environment that takes care of their basic needs:
Enough healthy food
Are more likely to live in substandard housing
Getting support from their parents
However, families in a situation of poverty experience food insecurity, are more likely to live in substandard housing, Experience situations that make it difficult to give their children the support they need: difficult living conditions, stress, long work hours.
Magalie’s story
At 26 years old, Magalie is now a manager at a furniture company, a position her younger self never thought possible, as her life path had not always been easy. Behind her confident smile is a story of personal challenges, relationship conflicts, and difficult teen years. Fortunately, thanks to Benado, a community agency supported by Centraide of Greater Montreal, Magalie found a new path away from the aggression that used to dominate her life.
What Centraide is doing in academic perseverance?
Centraide supports agencies and projects that act on key dimensions that all play a role in academic success:
The student · Their family · Their school · Their community
Souces:
*Tableau de bord de l’éducation | Gouvernement du Québec (quebec.ca)
1 out of 5 people receives our help.
5 out of 5 people benefit from it.
Let’s all lend a hand
Supporting a network of over 375 community agencies also means promoting an inclusive, poverty-free society.