Schools threatened with closure

Dominique Scali

Saturday, 17 February, 2018 01:00

UPDATE
Saturday, 17 February, 2018 00:56

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A reality that contributes to the pessimism of the English-speaking young people is the decline of their school system, believes Richard Bourhis, UQAM.

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“They have seen their parents fight for their school not be closed or merged. ”

“I remember walking past the tv for it when I was 8 years old,” says Bradley Dubeau, now 18 years of age and a native of Otter Lake, Outaouais.

It remains today only 40 % of the number of students in English schools compared to what it was in 1976, from 250 000 to 90 000, according to Mr. Bourhis.

Less equipped

This decline is due to bill 101, which restricts access to English schools for students with at least one parent went to English school. Immigrants and francophones, therefore, cannot send their children.

This is in addition to English-speaking parents who prefer to send their children to French schools because they have the impression that they will learn to better master the language, says Louise Outland of the quebec Association of teachers of French as a second language.

Still further

As a result of these closures, English-language schools receive students from a geographical radius more and more.

“My little-children take the school bus at 6: 45 a.m. to begin school at 9: 15 a.m.,” says Linda Heaton-Tessier, a resident of 67 years of Lanaudière.

The probing Light reveals that a strong majority of English-speakers of all ages (85 %) would like the bill 101 is loosened (
to read tomorrow), in particular to ensure that their schools can accommodate immigrants and francophones.

Many of the young people we met have, however, spontaneously pointed out that they include the desire of francophones to protect their language.

“The immigrants must go to French school, it makes sense to me,” said Chelsea Crook, 24 years old.