Probably an accurate stat of today, but misses the point and context. I said "I think" that education helped people from Quebec to negotiate a better situation, rather than doing so by arms (up to the 1970s with the FLQ). I do think that squashing rebellions is a counter-productive way of solving conflicts, as Yugoslavia did (I also lived a few years in the Balkans, in a neighbouring country, and had a few good friends from ex-Yu with identity issues in the early 2000s).

I also think education can help people understand topics such as majority/minority rights, rights/history of first nations, systemic racism, etc. many of which the current provincial government still denies (not immune to populist). Despite all that, and despite this province's completely train-wreck succession of governments since the 80s, what is taught now in schools is still better than in the 80s. That might be of an empirical feeling. My high school still had priests raping kids until the mid-90s and racism was rampant. I have a teen in a public high school, what they learn now is pretty neat. All thanks to teachers, of course, and not to governments.

Texas and other states are now burning books (and I hope we don't get to that point). One could have a PhD in CS, but be a tech-bro ignorantly erring towards fascism. I don't call that education. I think how a society treats its minorities (whether cultural or things like accessibility) is the best measure of advancement. Quebec is no model on that either, but it's probably better than Texas. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/sep/14/texas-most-b...