Be careful, hunting season for English-speaking students is on! What better way to forget the failures of the CAQ, which faltered after its crushing defeat in the complementary elections in Jean-Talon by reviving the Third Wing?
Published at 2:32 am. Updated at 5:00 am.
Politically, that’s good. The offensive against English-speaking students is rekindling the nationalist flame of voters who have defected to the Parti Québécois, without the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) needing to antagonize even the slightest potential voter. A blessing.
But basically the government is not hitting the nail on the head. The measures will have little impact on the “decline” of French, as the government measures it by incorrectly focusing on the native language and the language spoken at home.
Accept the expected changes in immigration regulations.
By adapting its Quebec Experience Program (PEQ), Quebec is offering foreign students a quick start if they want to settle here after earning their diploma. This is an excellent idea because these students are the ideal immigrants, with a recognized qualification and a network of contacts that promote their integration into society.
Unfortunately, this Fast Track is only aimed at those who studied in French. Anyone who studied in an English-speaking institution will be left out, even if they have excellent knowledge of French. This discrimination is not valid. We withdraw excellent candidates for free.
Based on a recent study by Statistics Canada1, some fear that even if these students are bilingual, they will speak more English when hired.
However, we must not forget that it is primarily the requirements of the increasingly cosmopolitan workplace that determine the use of English in business.
We cannot emphasize enough the importance of using French in public spaces in Quebec. It’s about our culture and our identity, but the province shouldn’t limit itself to itself either.
Now let’s take the changes to higher education funding announced on Friday.
Broadly speaking, the CAQ intends to double tuition fees for students from other provinces from $9,000 to $17,000 per year. There is also a minimum fee of $20,000 for foreign students.
By contributing to the fees paid by non-Quebec students who attend more English-speaking universities, Quebec aims to reinvest more than $100 million in French-speaking universities. Either. However, this compensation could become less important if registrations decline due to the fee increase.
Quebec presents its reform as a way to stop subsidizing the studies of young people who later return to their province. It is justifiable. But in its thinking, the government is losing sight of its contribution to Quebec.
Economically, they have a significant impact on the communities in which they live. And on a human level, they enrich campus life.
They enable Quebec students to build a network of contacts across Canada and the world. And they themselves become Quebec ambassadors outside the province.
We must not lose sight of the fact that universities are important institutions in Quebec whose contribution is measured by scientific discoveries and advances that benefit society as a whole.
Instead of reaching out to them to find a solution, Quebec forced a surprising decision on them. And all this while the universities have been working together for many months to revise their funding policies.
Here too, Quebec presents its reform as a solution to the decline of the French. But students outside Quebec have a broad backing.
It is true that some contribute to the anglicization of the city center by working in companies without speaking a word of French, which must nevertheless be the welcome language. Except that this obscures many other factors that have a significant impact on the development of French, but which we talk about very little. An example: Why did 74,000 French speakers leave the Montreal region in five years? That also weighs the scales.
By constantly blaming immigrants for the decline of French for political reasons, we risk discouraging newcomers who make a real effort to learn our language.
The enormous demand since the launch of the Francisation Québec platform last June clearly proves that immigrants have a great interest in French, which is the key to integration into the labor market and Quebec society.
We need more francization on campus if we want students to participate. In fact, McGill should start a 50 million francization program these days. But the university pressed pause.
Ironically, the Quebec offensive risks harming the French.
The position of La Presse
By toughening its tone toward English-speaking students, Quebec is obscuring their contribution to the province and risking undermining francization efforts at universities.