Quebec Indigenous leaders continue to call for an exemption from Bill 96 following the passage of controversial legislation amending the French Language Charter.
Law 96 will limit the use of English to many public services as well as the judicial system, and will impose more restrictive language requirements on small businesses and cities.
It will also put a limit on the number of students who can attend CEGEPS in English, as public schools in Quebec are called, and will set the French language requirements for graduation.
“We’re very concerned that our students can get into the programs they want to take,” said Sarah Pash, president of the Cree School Board.
We are very concerned that our students will be able to access the programs they want.- Sarah Pash, President of the Cree School Board
Law 96 will require a student attending a CEGEP in English to take five French courses in order to graduate.
Create by requesting an exemption
Sarah Pash is the president of the Cree School Board. (Submitted by Sarah Pash)
Pash said all levels of the Cree Nation leaders are in active discussion of Act 96 and share their concerns about the impact the new law will have on the Cree Nation’s ability to hire and cover its own people. the growing needs for human resources in the territory.
“We rely heavily on outsiders, non-eeyou people who come to our territory and hold jobs, professional positions, technical positions in all our sectors,” Pash said.
He called on the government of François Legault to grant Cree Nation students an exemption from Bill 96.
“We think it’s a very possible solution,” Pash said.
Inuit students are “set up” to fail
Harriet Keleutak is the general manager of Kativik Ilisarniliriniq, the school board in Nunavik, the Inuit region of Quebec.
Like Pash, he expressed concern that, without an exemption, more indigenous students in northern Quebec will be “set up to drop out” or choose to leave the province to pursue post-secondary education.
“It’s hard enough for them to leave home to go to a city and adapt,” Keleutak said
The board issued an open letter last Friday calling for an exemption from Bill 96 for its students.
Kativik School Board Director Harriet Keleutak says Inuit students who choose English as a second language are “setting out to fail.” (CBC)
Currently, the average graduation rate for high school students in Nunavik is 23%. Only 3.5% of the Inuit population has a university degree. At the university level, 1.2% of the population has a certificate and 0.8% a bachelor’s degree, according to figures from the Quebec City Council and Ministry of Education.
Keleutak says Inuit students who choose English as a second language instead of French will arrive at CEGEP with no knowledge of French.
“If they can’t study in the province of Quebec, they will have to go to other provinces that offer higher education in English,” Keleutak said.
Protections of the indigenous language
Both Kativik Ilisarniliriniq and the Cree School Board already have exemptions at the primary and secondary school levels, allowing them to prioritize Inuktitut and Cree language teaching under the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement.
They also have an exemption under the current French Language Charter, said both Pash and Keleutak.
The exemptions allow both councils to control when to introduce the teaching of French and / or English.
Keleutak says his advice prioritizes Inuktitut up to 3rd grade and allows a student to choose French or English as a second language.
It will not be possible to study in French at this level.- Harriet Keleutak, Kativik Ilisarniliriniq
Law 96 will make it difficult for Inuit students who choose English to meet the new French language requirements at the university level, he said.
“It’s about asking them to learn French when they get to college. It won’t be possible to study French at that level … They’re very, very late in French,” Keleutak said.
The minister is touring the Cree and Inuit communities
Quebec Indigenous Minister Ian Lafrenière visited several Cree and Inuit communities last week before Bill 96 was passed. The tour touched on many topics, including Bill 96, according to the spokesman. Mathieu Durocher.
The protection of French and indigenous languages is not opposed to each other, he said.
“We all agree that indigenous languages and cultures should be respected and that their promotion should be encouraged. Bill 96 is not the right vehicle to address these issues,” Durocher said in a response. by email to a request for information.
Quebec Indigenous Minister Ian Lafrenière visited several Cree and Inuit communities last week, including the Wemindji Cree community. (Twitter)
Durocher did not say whether or when an exemption could be made, but said the government is still looking for “concrete solutions” alongside indigenous communities, adding that Bill 96 will not come into force for another two years.
While not part of the discussion during Lafrenière’s tour of the territory, Cree School Board Chair Pash said she hopes to find a solution for Cree students.
“[The Cree and Quebec] come to the table knowing we have similar goals, ”Pash said.
“We were both very concerned about language protection and the maintenance of the language from our point of view.”