New budgetary rules are causing consternation among francization organizations. While needs have skyrocketed in recent years, they say they will no longer be able to welcome new students next fall. “A problem created by the federal government,” according to Quebec.
“There are a lot of people that we will not be able to Frenchify next year,” laments Carl Ouellet, president of the Quebec Association of School Management Personnel (AQPDE). The latter estimates that “thousands” of francization students will be affected.
Questioned by The dutythe government defends itself by invoking “the pressure exerted by temporary immigration on public services”.
“We are already devoting several resources from our education network to Frenchifying newcomers, and these resources have increased significantly,” the office of the Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville, indicated in writing.
That’s a lot of people that we won’t be able to Frenchify next year.
From 2019 to 2024, the francization budget increased from $69 to $104 million, and the government decided that the increase was going to stop there, it is explained. “We all recognize that it’s important […], but we must also respect our ability to pay. Asylum seekers are obviously not to blame, it is a problem created by the federal government,” the firm points out.
However, according to Carl Ouellet of the AQPDE, in addition to depriving immigrants of courses, the government’s decision ensures that the school service centers (CSS) which carry out francization will not be paid for the courses they have. already given for two years.
In Quebec, 40% of francization courses are provided by CSS through what is called adult training. Nearly 21,000 people were registered this spring full-time or part-time. The rest of the courses are offered in universities, CEGEPs or community organizations.
Fewer places
CSS receive subsidies each year based on the number of students in previous years. However, the Quebec Ministry of Education has revised its method of calculating subsidies, which creates a major hole in their budgets.
“I will not be able to take on new students at the start of the school year,” laments the director of a francization center who requested anonymity to protect his relations with the ministry. In its CSS, the cut corresponds to more than 10% of the budget and a 25% drop in the number of places available for students. “I’m going to hire fewer teachers and I’m going to reduce the pace,” he says.
For the Montreal Association of School Directors, this is simply illogical. “It’s stunning! It goes completely in the opposite direction. [celui du] political discourse that we hear,” says its president, Kathleen Legault.
The Quebec government is counting largely on a better offer in francization to counter the decline of French in Quebec. Its action plan presented in April included investments of $320 million to improve the use of French among foreign workers.
Risks for the rest of adult education?
In its discussions with the CSS in recent days, the Quebec Ministry of Education points the finger at the Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration (MIFI). He argues that the MIFI did not transfer enough funds to him this year to compensate for the increase in requests.
“Maintaining the financial envelope depends on that transferred by the MIFI for francization,” he wrote in a written communication to those responsible for the francization of the CSS including The duty got a copy.
The ministry then invites the CSS to take fewer students to resolve their budgetary problem. ” Limiting [le] number of FTEs [étudiants en équivalence au temps plein] linked to francization, this will leave room for maneuver…”
Kathleen Legault fears that other CSS students will suffer given “the great pressure in francization”. “Will this jeopardize funding for training for young adults who are behind in learning? Because it is offered in the same centers. That’s the danger. »
This situation arises in a context where the management of francization in Quebec is experiencing setbacks. Last year, the government created the Francisation Québec organization to better coordinate course offerings. However, half of the requests are still pending, according to a report submitted at the end of May by French Language Commissioner Benoît Dubreuil.
In the same report, Mr. Dubreuil noted that the total number of training hours offered in 2023-2024 corresponds to “approximately 2% of that which would have been necessary for all people domiciled in Quebec who did not know French can complete beginner and intermediate levels.