Montreal Regional Public Health Directorate released a new report on Monday, August 31, 2026, documenting that secondary students in the city’s standard public schools experience between two and three times higher exposure to violence and junk food than their peers in enriched public and private schools. The same analysis shows those students are three times more likely to leave school before graduation and report a weaker sense of belonging to their school community.
The study compared three categories of secondary schools in the Montreal region: regular public schools, enriched public schools that receive additional resources, and private schools that operate outside the public system. Data collected by the directorate indicate that pupils attending regular public schools encounter violent incidents and unhealthy food options at rates markedly above those observed in the other two tiers. The disparity in dropout risk follows the same pattern, with public‑school students facing a threefold increase in the likelihood of leaving school early.
According to the report, the three‑tier structure of Montreal’s secondary education system is a key factor behind the observed gaps. Enriched public schools and private institutions generally provide environments with fewer reported violent events, more regulated food services, and higher levels of student attachment to the school.
The health directorate notes that the identified differences have potential consequences for both immediate well‑being and longer‑term educational outcomes. While the document does not prescribe specific interventions, it underscores the importance of addressing inequities in school safety, nutrition, and student engagement.
The findings add to ongoing conversations about educational inequality in the city, prompting policymakers, school boards and community groups to examine how resources and programming might be rebalanced across the three tiers to improve health and retention outcomes for all Montreal students.