At a press conference during the tabling of the bill on the official and common language on May 13, 2021, Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette announced: “To English-speaking Quebecers, I repeat, the Government of Quebec will act with full respect for the institutions of the Anglo-Quebec community. The measures aimed at strengthening the status of French as a common language will benefit all Quebecers, without exception. In retrospect, it is clear that the minister broke his promise. And the consequences will be serious for students, institutions and the college network as a whole.
Posted at 1:00 p.m.
Measures to the benefit of all Quebecers without exception?
The sub-amendment adding three compulsory courses in French for all students will be a barrier to access to higher education and to the success of so-called English-speaking students. By adopting this sub-amendment, the Minister is also torpedoing the two priorities of the Action Plan on Success in Higher Education supported by his colleague from Higher Education.
Imposing three courses in French is the ideal recipe for encouraging the failure of many English-speaking students who are simply not prepared to pass specific training courses in a second language. Regardless of who proposed this subamendment, the minister has an opportunity to promote the interests of all Quebeckers, without exception, as promised.
Quebec is already lagging behind the Canadian average when it comes to accessibility to university studies and this gap will widen even further.
The objective of the action plan is however clear: to allow all those who so wish to undertake studies in higher education.
Moreover, this interference in the management of college programs is a dangerous precedent that threatens the agility of colleges, all languages of instruction combined, to meet the needs of Quebec society. By prescribing means rather than ends, the minister opens a breach which will have a lasting impact on the autonomy of establishments which nevertheless belong to higher education. In fact, the door is now open for any department to make major changes to college programs without consulting the main stakeholders.
Act with respect for establishments in the English-speaking community
There is a network of subsidized private colleges in Quebec that contributes to Quebec society. Unfortunately, Bill 96 in its current form jeopardizes the very survival of several private subsidized colleges such as Centennial College, Marianopolis College and TAV College.
This is not a campaign of fear, the problem is real. Subsidized private colleges are not managed like CEGEPs since, unlike the public sector which is entirely supported by the government, these establishments are NPOs which must develop a little bit to balance their budgets. In recent years, they have invested millions of dollars of their own funds to improve their infrastructure in anticipation of the coming increase in attendance due to a demographic boom in Montreal. The permanent freeze on their workforce is undermining their ability to repay the debts contracted during these recent investments. The rules of the game have been changed without notice.
In order to avoid a major negative impact on success and graduation rates, the eventual closure of higher education establishments, the timetable for the implementation of the college bill must at least be reconsidered and realistic way with all the college network partners.
If nothing is done, jewels of higher education will disappear in the greatest indifference. And with them, “paying jobs”. Is the Prime Minister aware of this? Is this really what he wants?