St. Edmund Elementary School

St-Edmund Elementary school is a public school founded in 1968. Susan Greenberg has been principal since September, 2005. It's ranked by Today's Parent Magazine as one of the top schools in the Montreal area. The teaching staff of 30 at St. Edmund is all-female after its last male teacher retired in 2008.

School Curriculum

The school offers a two-language program that includes students being taught solely in French for their beginning years, then given a balance of English and French. The courses taught are: Music: Susan Adams (in English) Art: Guylaine St-Georges (in French) Physical Education: Patricia Carroll (in English) English: Various teachers (by grade level) French: Same as above. The school has its own personal library as well as a computer laboratory.

Administration

As of 2010, the school is the only school in the LBPSB with an 95% female administration. In the CTV Article, "Women Rule at St-Edmund's School," Principal Greenberg stated "I'm not quite sure why, maybe it's the 'Kindergarten Cop' syndrome, but I think now many fathers are hands-on, and I'm hoping that will change over the years and they'll try out early childhood education,". one parent asks in response to that article, "How can the children get a balanced education - both academically and socially - when they are in a monoculture?" Another exclamation is "Men have been made afraid of being around children. Any man that seems to have any interest in children runs the risk of being labeled a paedophile. Society has made it very difficult for men, except fathers with their families, to be involved with children. Nevertheless, most parents say the formula with still award-winning staff seems to work and eventually some more men may start teaching more early and primary education.