Some francophone students say they should be able to choose the language of the CEGEP they attend. But others say they are concerned about the future of the French language. The CAQ government has tabled a language law that would put a cap on enrolment at English CEGEPs.
Quebec seeks to change Canadian Constitution, make sweeping changes to language laws with new bill
Published on May 13, 2021 with No Comments
New bill seeks to bolster the French language in public and workplaces after studies showed decline.
The Quebec government has tabled a bill that seeks to change the Canadian Constitution to include a specific clause reiterating the Quebec nation’s French-language rights.
That’s one part of a sweeping new bill that, if passed, would become the most stringent law to bolster the status of the French language in Quebec since Bill 101 passed in 1977.
Much of the 100-page bill is targeted at bolstering the use of French in public and workplaces after a series of studies by Quebec’s French-language watchdog, the OQLF, found that French in Quebec is in decline.
iPolitics By Kevin Dougherty. Published on May 13, 2021 4:26pm Premier François Legault (left) and Simon Jolin-Barrette, minister responsible for the French language, explain Bill 96 on May 12 at the Quebec national assembly. (Kevin Dougherty/Screenshot)
With the goal of increasing from 53 per cent to 90 per cent the proportion of newcomers to the province who speak French, Bill 96 was introduced Thursday in the Quebec national assembly.
“This is a big day,” Premier François Legault told reporters, calling Bill 96 “essential for the survival and development of our nation.”
As the only jurisdiction in North America where French has the status of a common language, Quebec is “in an English-speaking ocean,” the premier said, calling Bill 96 “solid, necessary, and reasonable.”
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