Despite strong criticism, Dominique Anglade would not ignore the obligation for students in English-speaking CEGEPs to pass three additional French courses if she takes power next fall.
Posted at 2:47 p.m.
This provision of the new law 96 on the protection of French “would remain” in the event of the scenario where she wins the general election, said Saturday the liberal leader, Dominique Anglade. However, the adoption of this controversial amendment, first submitted by MP Hélène David and modified by Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette, provoked the ire of English-speaking communities.
The reform of Bill 101, adopted by the Legault government, provides that all students in English-speaking CEGEPs who do not have the linguistic ability to take three courses taught in French to replace them with three French courses. These changes to the college basic regulations will be applicable from the start of the fall 2024 school year.
The initial amendment, which had been adopted by the parliamentary committee, provided that students in English-speaking CEGEPs, including rights holders (i.e. those who had studied in English in elementary and secondary school), had to take three during their college education in French in order to obtain their diploma.
“It would stay […] that said, we will work with the entire community to ensure that everyone feels they belong,” said Dominique Anglade. However, she is already promising to reopen the law to remove “dividing” articles such as eliminating the six-month period imposed on newcomers to communicate in French and the use of the derogatory clause.
In the political party’s election platform, it is also stated that a Liberal government “give back[ait] the right of students to attend the college institution of their choice”, which means that there would be no quota. However, when it tabled its 27 proposals for French last year, the training said it was in favor of the status quo with regard to the number of French-speaking students in English-speaking colleges.
“All the questions that really divide this, we would remove them. But I would like to come back today, we are here to talk about what particularly affects Quebeckers in the inflation crisis, in their daily lives and that is why we are talking above all and above all about a tax cut,” reiterated Dominique Anglade, who on Saturday promised a tax cut for the middle class.
Still “several calls”
The member for Robert-Baldwin, Carlos Leitão, and that of Jacques-Cartier, Gregory Kelley, did not deny having received “several calls” from English-speaking voters still angry about the amendment tabled by the Liberals. “We talk to them, explain to them, we tell them what our position is,” Leitão said. The Liberals voted against passing Bill 96.
“I also receive some and I talk to each of them. As I said, there are many parents who are not against having more French in CEGEP. They want their children to be bilingual, to improve their French […]but above all they want to have a discussion about how it will all work, ”said Gregory Kelley.
In its 27 proposals, the Liberals propose that the offer of courses in CEGEP “should not be limited to French second language courses, but be encouraged by including at least three courses in French offered in each study program”. It is in this spirit that MNA Hélène David submitted this amendment to Bill 96. Subsequently, Ms.me Anglade acknowledged that his party had not consulted Anglophone groups before proposing this subamendment.