Quebec targets adult vocational education courses - BERITAJA

Montreal’s largest English-language schoolhouse committee is denouncing the Quebec government’s scheme to widen Bill 101 to big and vocational education, calling it a “political stunt” that could wounded immigrants, weaken the English schoolhouse strategy and worsen labour shortages.

The projected legislation, promised by Premier Christine Fréchette during the Coalition Avenir Québec activity race, would use French-language requirements to big acquisition and vocational training programs. The authorities says the move would adjacent a loophole successful Bill 101 and fortify the usage of French successful the workplace.

French Language Minister Jean‑François Roberge has defended the connection arsenic basal to protect the French language.

But the English Montreal School Board says the measurement could redirect arsenic galore arsenic 27,000 students from English-language programs into the French system, moreover arsenic galore newcomers struggle to entree government-funded French courses.

“This isn’t conscionable bad for the English schoolhouse boards,” EMSB chair Joe Ortona said. “This is bad policy, it’s bad for Quebec’s economy, it really hurts the group who are immigrating present who want to beryllium contributing members of society.”

Ortona said immigrants already look awesome challenges learning French while trying to participate the workforce.

“The immigrants present are already facing important challenges of mastering connection and what the authorities should beryllium trying to do is instrumentality the courses of francisation that they said they were going to implement,” he said.

He added that galore newcomers want to study French and get occupation skills astatine the aforesaid time, but person been incapable to entree connection training.

“They want to study French, they want to study a trade, they want to participate the workforce and the authorities has made it difficult for them astatine each stage,” Ortona said.

English-language defense group TALQ besides condemned the proposal, accusing the CAQ authorities of continuing divisive connection policies that could harm the English acquisition strategy without importantly helping French.

“The intent is the existent problem,” said the group’s head general, Sylvia Martin-Laforge. “The intent of the effect of strangling again the English-speaking system.”

Martin-Laforge besides questioned the government’s justification for the projected changes, saying Quebec has not released studies aliases information supporting the request for the measure.

“The authorities has not produced immoderate study aliases numbers to warrant the necessity,” she said. “All they talk about is the diminution of French astatine home, successful the workplace. But actually, everything is much nuanced than cut-and-dry numbers and we cognize that.”

Opposition parties opportunity they are reserving judgement until authorities is formally introduced.

PLQ leader Charles Milliard said he wants to measure the effectiveness of the projected measure earlier deciding whether to support it.

“The CAQ has been saying a batch of things erstwhile it comes to this peculiar topic,” Milliard said. “I want to spot what would besides beryllium the efficacy of specified a measure earlier we ballot for aliases against.”

The authorities has not yet been tabled astatine the National Assembly. The existent parliamentary convention ends June 12.