Canada's official languages commissioner is expressing worry over Quebec's decision to cap the number of students who can enrol in the province's English-language junior colleges. Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada Raymond Theberge holds a press conference at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
OTTAWA – Canada’s official languages commissioner is expressing concern over Quebec’s decision to cap the number of students who can enrol in the province’s English-language junior colleges.
Raymond Théberge says in a report released today that he’s also worried about the province’s decision to raise tuition for out-of-province students at the university level.
He writes that Quebec’s English junior colleges and universities play a valuable role by exposing students to a French environment, even if they’re studying in English.
The cap on junior college, or CEGEP, enrolment was part of Quebec’s 2022 language reform, which also mandates additional French classes for students.
The law states that the share of students enrolled in English colleges must not exceed 17.5 per cent of the province’s overall student population.
Théberge said the perception that English-speakers in Quebec don’t value French as the province’s common language is a myth, noting that 71 per cent of Quebec anglophones are bilingual and that most speak French in their daily lives.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 9, 2024.
