From an early age, Madeleine Parent became aware of social inequalities, first in her family, then in grade school and at university. Her educational path was an atypical one. By deciding to attend McGill University, she avoided the Catholic classic colleges that Francophones had to attend, at a time when a bachelor’s degree was a prerequisite for admission to the Université de Montréal or to Université Laval. University studies were a privilege of the elite, hence Madeleine’s early activism in favour of scholarships for the less affluent.
