Simon Jolin-Barrette wants Quebec to improve the teaching of French for young Anglophones in elementary and secondary school. It remains to obtain the support of his colleague in Education, Jean-François Roberge.
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The psychodrama caused by a Liberal amendment to add three French courses in English-language CEGEPs demonstrates the need to better teach French to young Anglophones, says the minister responsible for the French language.
On Wednesday, Simon Jolin-Barrette assured that the teaching of French as a second language in primary and secondary schools would be reviewed. “It will be improved, I had the opportunity to say so in the credits and during the parliamentary committee,” he declared in the corridors of the National Assembly.
The day before, the minister recalled that the director general of the Quebec English School Boards Association, Russell Copeman, recently assured parliamentarians that young Anglophones in Quebec were bilingual.
“All those who have graduated from English-language secondary schools in Quebec are considered by the Government of Quebec to have an adequate knowledge of spoken and written French,” said Mr. Copeman.
during the study of Bill 96.
Students at risk
“He came to lecture us, in parliamentary committee, to wipe his feet on Bill 96. […] It was not chic, ”commented Mr. Jolin-Barrette during the study of the credits.
But the English-speaking CEGEPs then pleaded that the imposition of three French courses would jeopardize the success of young people, since they do not master the language. A compromise was finally found to allow the historic Anglophone community to take three additional French as a second language courses instead.
In the study
Faced with this observation, French must be “improved at the elementary and secondary levels” in the English-speaking network, in addition to the college level, declared the minister.
Despite these appeals from the foot of Simon Jolin-Barrette, his colleague in Education was sparing of comments on the subject on Wednesday.
At first, the cabinet of Jean-François Roberge was not aware of the remarks of the minister responsible for the French language.
In a second step, after several hours, the office of Mr. Jolin-Barrette clarified that the two ministers were currently “discussing” on this subject.