EMSB challenges 'absurd' requirement for English boards to communicate in French
The English Montreal School Board (EMSB) says it plans to file a motion Wednesday in Quebec Superior Court about its right to communicate in English.
This comes after EMSB Chair Joe Ortona says the school board received "communications" from the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) with what he considers to be a "very strict interpretation of Bill 96," Quebec's controversial language law.
"[It] would require us to communicate in French, even internally, and that makes absolutely no sense," he told CTV News. "Everybody within our school system agrees with that. So, we don't see any other option here than to launch this challenge."
Ortona laments that English-language school boards were told they could communicate with their communities in English solely for pedagogical matters.
"The OQLF is giving a very strict interpretation of what constitutes pedagogical matters," he said. "If you are emailing parents, for example, because of an issue that occurred in the school with the child, even if it's during class time, that's not a pedagogical matter because we're not dealing strictly with matters of curriculum."
The EMSB is Quebec's largest English-language school board with more than 44,000 students.
It says it plans to ask the courts to issue a stay on the language rules until the various constitutional challenges to Bill 96 are concluded.
He argues it's ridiculous that English school boards are being forced to communicate in French.
"For an English teacher to be writing to English-speaking parents and have to do so in French, I happen to think it is absurd," said Ortona. "If we're writing to parents, it's in French. If we're writing among teachers and principals, it's in French; from one English board to another, it's in French."
He says the day-to-day operations have become stunted because of this language setback -- and what's suffering is the children's education.
"If a teacher says, 'Hey, my calculator went missing or such and such a thing was misplaced. Does anybody know where it is?' It must be written in French according to the OQLF," said Ortona. "It's absurd to have to spend the time and the money to translate all of these things when we could be putting resources in education."
He argues teaching children in English does not threaten the French language in Quebec at all.
"We are an English language school board," he stated. "Our mission is to serve the English-speaking community and educate them in English, of course, also in French, but also in English, much to the displeasure of this government. "
Ortona points out that French schools in the rest of Canada are allowed to operate exclusively in their language.
"We promote bilingualism," he reiterated. "We place importance on French, but also on English. We're an English school board, and we should be operating in English."
Last year, the EMSB filed an application in Superior Court calling for a judicial review of Bill 96.
In its application, EMSB Chair Joe Ortona argued the law violates the Canadian Constitution by infringing on the right to equal access in Canada's two official languages.
It also argues that provisions of Bill 96 violate the right to "management and control of minority language education exercised by the English Montreal School Board" under Section 23 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6976871.1721873052!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
DEVELOPING Jasper updates: 'Significant loss' within Jasper townsite
One of two wildfires threatening Jasper National Park has reached the townsite.
Alberta calls in army to assist with wildfire situation
Alberta has called in the Canadian Armed Forces to help assist with the worsening wildfire situation in the province.
Biden explains why he ended re-election bid in Oval Office address
U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday delivered a solemn call to voters to defend the country's democracy as he laid out in an Oval Office address his decision to drop his bid for reelection and throw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.
Barrie-Innisfil MPP 'blacked-out' and crashed car into window of child care centre
Staff at a Barrie child care centre say they are frustrated by what they call a local MPP's inadequate response after a car crashed through a window in one of the toddler rooms.
Norad intercepts Russian and Chinese bombers operating together near Alaska in apparent first
The North American Aerospace Defence Command (Norad) intercepted two Russian and two Chinese bombers flying near Alaska Wednesday in what appears to be the first time the two countries have been intercepted while operating together.
2 Canadians being 'sent home immediately,' removed from Olympic team after drone incident
An analyst and an assistant coach with Canada Soccer are being removed from the Canadian Olympic Team and 'sent home immediately,' according to the Canadian Olympic Committee.
An unwelcome attendee has joined the Paris Olympic Games: COVID-19
After a handful of Australian water polo players tested positive for COVID-19 this week, questions have emerged around how the spread of the disease will be mitigated at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
Vacations, meals, booze: Contractor used $100K of charity's money for personal expenses, B.C. court finds
A B.C. man who was hired to help a non-profit build a food hub but instead spent the money on personal expenses – including travel, restaurants, booze and cannabis – has been ordered to pay more than $120,000 in damages.
Male, female killed, 2 others injured in 'gun battle' outside Toronto plaza: police
Two people are dead and two others suffered serious injuries following a shooting that police have described as a 'gun battle' outside a plaza in Scarborough, Ont. early Wednesday morning.