Suggested language law amendments draw mixed reactions from QC cégeps

The Government of Quebec’s Bill 96 and the proposed application of QC’s Bill 101 to cégeps have been a point of contention in the province. 24 of the province’s 48 cégeps have reportedly voted in favour of the application of the Bill 101, citing concerns about cultural assimilation and the loss of Francophone culture without a French language requirement. Cégep Édouard-Montpetit’s faculty union voted in favour of limiting non-Anglophone enrolment at English cégeps, although union President France Demers told le Courrier de Sud that many felt “torn” due to their concerns about colleagues at those institutions and whether French-language mastery was the responsibility of cégeps. The amendments outlined in Bill 96 include a possible enrolment number freeze for the English system, and CBC reports that the cégeps feel that they are being unfairly targeted for their success and “scapegoated” for the vitality of French in the province. CBC| Radio-Canada| Journal de Québec| Le Courrier du Sud| P.S. CTV News reports that the Quebec legislature passed the amendment to Bill 96 as part of a rapid-fire session on Thursday, May 12th. It will next need to be passed into law to take effect, which is expected to happen in early June. CTV News Note: Archived stories may contain dead links or be missing source links.