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A grey sky and stiff autumn breeze failed to dampen the spirits of thousands of boisterous teachers who marched through downtown Montreal on Wednesday demanding improved working conditions and an end to cuts they say are harming the neediest students.

Marching behind a black banner that read: “The government is abandoning public schools,” the francophone teachers rang bells, blew horns and carried signs denouncing government proposals to increase class sizes and their work week from 32 to 35 hours. Many were accompanied by their children who were off school because of the one-day strike that affected 275,000 students at French public schools across Quebec.

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Several teachers who spoke to The Montreal Gazette said ongoing cuts to education specialists’ hours are harming children who need remedial help to succeed.

“We are seeing cuts in remedial teachers and special education teachers who work with students who need help or those with behavioural problems,” said Chantal Gagnon, a primary school teacher in Laval. “They want to integrate the kids in the classroom but they are not giving us the support. They are cutting hours.”