Nouveau programme collegial quebecois de Sciences de la nature: commentaire sur l'article de Desautels (2020) et pistes pour l'intervention

This journal recently published an article by Jacques Desautels in which he described a review of the pre-university Natural Sciences program in Quebec and how this review resulted in a training framework tainted by scientism, similar to the previous version of the program. We agree with Desautels' arguments and share many of his underpinning views. In response to his article, we first present an overview of Desautels' assertions, identifying two major problems in the review of the program: first, the methodology used in the consultations with university professors to understand their expectations of pre-university graduates, and second, the conflict between politics and epistemology in the new program's content. We then examine the universities' expectations, which - in our view - may not be met if the program is rolled out as written. Finally, because the program is likely already set in stone, we offer some suggestions to our teacher colleagues in the science program that may help alleviate some of the issues raised by Desautels and help students meet university expectations.