Days into the Quebec election campaign, the leader of the Parti Québécois announced several measures to reverse what he says is a decline of French in the province due to the CAQ government.
One of those measures would be to apply Bill 101 to CEGEPs, meaning students who studied in French elementary and high schools would be obligated to go to a French CEGEP, rather than having the choice of going to an English CEGEP.
“This change would result in 9,850 additional students graduating from college in French,” said Paul St-Pierre Plamondon. “CEGEP students are at the age where their cultural and linguistic choices solidify, and it is crucial that they choose French.”
Reaction to the election promise – made by the party that’s long been leading in the polls – was far reaching.
Charles Milliard, Quebec Liberal Party leader: “I think that young adults are actually adults in CEGEP and this is not the way we want to promote and protect French.”
Toby Harper-Merrett, director general of Dawson College: “It would be catastrophic to extend Bill 101, the eligibility requirements to Dawson College. It would cut our eligible student population nearly in half perhaps. It would cause the layoff of hundreds and hundreds of faculty and staff.”
Fédération des cégeps, in a statement: “The Fédération des cégeps shares the objective of strengthening French as the common language of Quebec and recognizes the importance of continuing efforts to promote its mastery, use, and valuation. However, it believes that applying the provisions of the Charter of the French Language, which govern access to French-language education in elementary and secondary schools, to the college level is not the right way to achieve this objective. The Fédération des cégeps reiterates that CEGEP is a non-compulsory level of education and that it has historically been based on the principle of free choice of language of instruction. Any questioning of this principle raises significant issues, particularly regarding accessibility, individual rights, and consistency between the governance of colleges and universities.”
Rama Kosara, president of Dawson Student Union: “We believe that removing the choice that students have on their higher education will do nothing but harm to the way that students view the French language and culture in Quebec.”
Ezekiel Montoya Desjardins, vice-president of external affairs, Dawson Student Union: “Just like me, like all the other French-speaking students here, these people have dreams, these people have opportunities, and these people have ambitions. Simply preventing access to the higher education of one’s choice is, in fact, preventing education altogether.”
Gianluca Stoett, student at Dawson College: “It might not reduce my opportunities in where I can go but it would reduce my opportunities and who I can meet. We live in this beautifully diverse city Montreal. We have so many languages, we have so many people and the idea that I shouldn’t be allowed to go to school with francophones is crazy. Some of my best friends are French.”
Ezra-Pierre Boucrot, student at Dawson College: “It’s very important like the start of almost your career. You’re choosing what you want to do in the future and you should have the choice of what language you want to study.”
Marie-Anne Alepin, president of the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Montréal: “If we really want to protect French and our culture as a common language, we need measures like the application of Bill 101 in CEGEPs and we also need to question and analyze the application of Bill 101 in universities.”
Eva Ludvig, president of TALQ: “No doubt this will have an impact on our institutions. The fewer students that go, the fewer options there are for all the other students as well.”
Anaïs Denucci-Gagnon, student at Cégep du Vieux Montréal: “I think it’s very important to protect French in Quebec, but I also think it’s important to give people the opportunity to choose their education if they want it in French or English.”
Mathis Rubat du Merac, student at Cégep du Vieux Montréal: “I think that’s a very stupid way to protect the French language. I think people should have the choice to go to an English or French CEGEP no matter what their background is.”
Émile Bernier, student at Cégep du Vieux Montréal: “The current context means that we need actually to apply far more pressure especially in Montreal to preserve and protect the French language.”
Wetchine Chancy, student at Cégep du Vieux Montréal: “Even though I did choose to go to a French CEGEP I think it’s best to leave the choice up to the students in the end because it is their future.”
Quebecers head to the polls Oct. 5.
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