CAQ backs off on CEGEP classes in French
The CAQ has backed off on the plan to make students at English CEGEPs pass three core courses in French, and will now make them take three French language courses instead.
Pragmatically, I’ve heard that it would be structurally difficult to set things up for the teaching of core courses of so many programs in French at English CEGEPs that switching to simply teaching the language must be a huge relief to everyone involved.
jeather 21:00 on 2022-04-26 Permalink
It is most certainly not a relief. Where are these three classes coming from? Core courses? Electives? English or humanities classes? Don’t forget that capacity is now capped, so what’s happening with the people who teach whichever classes are being switched over? Maybe it’s marginally better, but it’s no good.
Kevin 21:14 on 2022-04-26 Permalink
I have no fucks left to give. It is all meaningless nonsense.
The system is rigged. People from France, francophones with degrees in French literature, can and do fail Quebec’s linguistic purity tests.
Whatever happens people will do what they want, bribe the correct officials, the people without hobbies will continue to complain to the OQLF every time they see or hear an English word, and stickers saying Démarrer will be placed on microwaves in workplaces in order to comply.
Ian 21:39 on 2022-04-26 Permalink
@jeather they were supposed to be core courses, therein lies the rub. Who among the unionized teachers with the Ministry approved curriculum will suddenly teach these courses without having a full program revision and not be penalized retroactively for the. conditions of their hiring as government employees… CEGEP teachers officially work for the Ministry not the college, and the Ministry is responsible for all program revisions – which is usually at least a 2-year process. Also, once you have been hired as a CEGEP teacher you can’t be un-hired retroactively – not to mention permanent postings (equivalent to tenure), seniority-based hiring priority, and pensionable hours.
I suspect the CAQ realized what a deep, dark mess this was going to turn into and decided to play the “generous” schtick instead. This is still on Anglade and the incompetence of the PLQ, if the CAQ had decided to be as obstinate as they have been in the past this would literally have destroyed the English CEGEP system. The vast majority of English students could not pass the French exam, especially as it is geared toward students that have been studying French literature, not FSL. I had started planning an unexpected early retirement, assuming the system would collapse within 6 years. That or it would have been totally rejigged to become a better, more efficient system … haha who am I kidding
In any case Anglo CEGEP students will still have to take 3 French courses, but they will be electives. Still not ideal but better than the hole the (!@#$%&*?) PLQ was digging for us.
Joey 08:45 on 2022-04-27 Permalink
@Ian or @Tim S. would know – what’s the previous French requriement? I seem to recall taking at least one class in French at Dawson 25ish years ago. Can’t recall whether it was a mandatory French-language class or just an elective taught in French. In any case, bureaucractic machines are usually pretty good at working around this kind of obligation.
Ian 08:57 on 2022-04-27 Permalink
It depends on whether it’s a DEC or an AEC – this page still hasn’t been updated: https://www.quebec.ca/en/education/cegep/studying/overview
Honestly I’m not sure if the 3 FR courses will be gen ed or complementaries. It may very well vary faculty to faculty as many faculties specifically prepare students for working in a French milieu. It also depends what counts as “French instruction” – for example all of my web projects need to follow OLF regulations for commercial websites – but that’s my choice as the instructor, not a requirement of the program, and not a core competency.
Tim S. 11:42 on 2022-04-27 Permalink
Right now students at anglo colleges take 2 French-language courses. I’ve seen different reports about whether this new change will mean 3 or 5 total French classes. If it’s 3 total, that shouldn’t be a huge deal, but 5 means other courses will have to be cut.
Meanwhile, my daughter in EMSB French immersion keeps coming home to report that they spent French class watching English movies.
Ian 17:26 on 2022-04-27 Permalink
FromJohn Abbott College’s Director General:
In the Spring of 2021, our provincial government presented Bill 96 (Loi sur la langue officielle et commune du Québec, le français). It went through public consultations in the fall, and it is presently going through the detailed (line-by-line) revisions in a parliamentary commission in Québec City.
Let us begin by saying that John Abbott College strongly supports enhancing the use of the French language in Québec, and the intent of increasing the French language skills of our students (as detailed in our 2020-2025 Strategic Plan, Orientation #6). However, some provisions in the present version of Bill 96 are of concern for English-language colleges.
a) The enrolment of English CEGEPs would indefinitely be limited to the registered numbers of 2019.
b) Admissions priority would need to be given to students “ayant été déclarés admissibles à recevoir l’enseignement en anglais conformément à la section I” (those who have a right to attend English language school boards under Law 101), commonly referred to as “les ayants droit”.
c) All other students would be required to pass the French Exit Exam.
d) All students would need to complete three courses given in French to complete their DEC. As of last night, French as a Second Language courses will be possible for “les ayants droit”.
The requirement of the French Exit Exam for approximately 40% of our students (principally francophones and allophones) would involve three French literature courses for those students rather than the English literature courses they currently take in preparation for the English Exit Exam (which has a higher success rate than the French Exit Exam). Details for the three additional courses required in French remain unclear, but this new two-tiered approach to college education would likely also affect success rates, since approximately 30% of JAC students are normally enrolled in our lower-level French courses. The proposed changes could also reduce the success rates of our Indigenous students, and thus increase the difficulties faced by these marginalized and underserved groups. Bill 96 would also require a change in our existing balance of teaching positions.
Student success is our primary mission. In 2021 the Ministry of Higher Education was rightly proud to announce an investment of $450 million over the next five years to enhance student success, yet the same government proposes a bill that could jeopardize the success of many of our students. Some students may decide to leave our publicly-funded colleges or the province. This, along with the effect on our graduation rates would exacerbate a well-documented labour market shortage.
The leadership of English colleges and universities has been working for many months to raise the awareness of our elected representatives about the impact that Bill 96 would have on student success. Our requests to meet our most senior elected officials have unfortunately not been granted. English colleges want to increase the French language skills of our students, but not at the expense of student success.
What can you do if you wish your perspective to be heard?
a) Write to our politicians or the press.
b) If you share our concerns about student success, you can take part in demonstrations, such as those currently being planned for May 5 at John Abbott College (11:30am to 12:30pm, without class cancellations but with classes welcome to participate at the teacher’s discretion), and May 14 in downtown Montréal starting at 10:30am at Dawson College (Anglophone groups plan downtown protest against Bill 96 on May 14 – QCGN).
c) Consider whether signing this petition from concerned English educators would represent your views: (https://openletter.earth/lettre-ouverte-concernant-les-amendements-au-projet-de-loi-96-db77fa0e?fbclid=IwAR0LN3kW_JqHnxt0XlnxHEumJFsAeGIiG3eAX26Kw0GK7325NgejjaL7HU8)
We hope our political leaders will heed public concern and consider changes to the proposed law in order to ensure that measures to strengthen the use of French also support student success.