The National Assembly will condemn thousands of students to failure against a background of “social crisis” if it adopts Bill 96 in its current form, warns the president of the Federation of CEGEPs, Bernard Tremblay.
He is particularly concerned about the repercussions of the obligation to take “a minimum of three courses given in French” imposed on students enrolled in an English-speaking CEGEP, which appears in the amended version of the bill respecting the official and common language of Quebec. , French. “There are thousands of students who will be unable to graduate,” said Mr. Tremblay in an interview with The duty Wednesday.
More than 35% of the approximately 29,000 students enrolled in English-speaking CEGEPs have insufficient knowledge of the French language to take courses in French, he points out, with supporting statistics.
The proportion of students with an insufficient knowledge of French varies from one program to another: 57.4% in Nursing techniques, or 85.9% in Childhood education techniques, for example.
Bill 96 was recently amended at the instigation of the Liberal Party of Quebec in order to compel all students enrolled in a study program leading to a Diploma of Collegial Studies (DEC) in an English-speaking CEGEP, including those declared eligible for instruction in English in elementary and secondary school, to take at least three courses in French other than French as a second language or physical education courses. “This amendment has a catastrophic effect and, obviously, a discriminatory effect,” underlines Mr. Tremblay, who speaks for the 48 public colleges, including 5 English-speaking colleges, in Quebec.
“The impact [sera] important for students who have been educated in English in Quebec and who are continuing their studies in an English-speaking CEGEP”, he continues, before asking: “How can the English-speaking community accept that we condemn young English-speaking Quebecers, who have the right, under the laws of Canada, to take courses in English? How can we ensure that these young people will find themselves in a situation of failure? »
The president of the Fédération des cégeps “revolts” against the “lack of sensitivity” of the deputies of the National Assembly – who are not specialists in the system of college studies, he notes – supporting this “ false solution to the problem of the vitality of French” adopted by the author of Bill 96, Simon Jolin-Barrette, after discussion with the PLQ. “We do this under the pretext that we want to look good, give the impression that we are solving the problem of French. So we condemn students to failure. We cannot be silent,” he said in a telephone interview.
call for patience
Bernard Tremblay urges the members of the Committee on Culture and Education, who are currently examining the bill strengthening the Charter of the French language, to withdraw the obligation weighing on students in English-speaking colleges to take three courses in French, or at the very least to “defer” its coming into force in order to take the proper measure of all its impacts, including on the teaching staff of the college network. “Let’s take the time to do the analysis. Perhaps the provision will be found to be unenforceable. If we were wrong, we will not have put thousands of students in a situation of failure, ”he underlines.
Bill 96 “will truly change the face of teaching at the college level,” according to the minister responsible for the French language, Simon Jolin-Barrette.
The elected CAQ also intends to impose a uniform French test on students in the English-speaking college network, except for those declared eligible for instruction in English in elementary and secondary school, in addition to capping the number of places in English-speaking CEGEPs. . However, he refused to apply Bill 101 to CEGEPs, to the regret of the Parti Québécois in particular.
“The problem is not on the college side. The problem with French, especially in Montreal, is in: English, language of work; English, display language; English, the language of administration. He is everywhere, ”says Bernard Tremblay.