Opinion: When it comes to Bill 96, is there a captain of this legislative ship gone adrift?
The National Assembly recently adopted the articles of Bill 96 that relate to colleges.
What has emerged is that students have been caught in the crosshairs of a pre-election joust in which our various political parties are vying for the title of official standard-bearer of the Quebec nation.
“Want to add courses in French to the college curriculum?
No problem, let's settle this in an amendment discussed in 15 minutes, just between us parliamentarians. No need to consult the Ministry of Higher Education.
No need to check the feasibility of this proposal with actual colleges. Especially because even the ministers concerned seem unable to consult each other.”
“How about changing college funding rules, admission policies, the terms of the French exit exam and so on? Certainly. Here’s an amendment and then another.”
“Should we check any of this with the folks in the college network? No, we’re in a rush and frankly, we’re not interested,” said both the ruling party and the opposition.
“You see, we’re too busy finding bons mots that will amuse the other members of the parliamentary committee. When did we find time to draft so many amendments, you ask? We’re very active at night (chuckles, smirks).”
It was disheartening to listen to the casual banter.
Let's be clear, there is no opposition within English-speaking institutions to the core objective of Bill 96, to strengthen French as the common language of Quebec.
I say that unequivocally as a francophone who has worked in the English college network for many years.
If the government had seriously wanted to improve the learning of French in English colleges, they could have done so in collaboration with the institutions themselves.
Or perhaps they could have agreed to meet with college representatives who are struggling with these unmanageable and ill-advised policies.
That these discussions have not happened is not for lack of colleges having asked, often, both before, during and after these amendments were adopted in such a hurry.
The unfortunate consequences of Bill 96 on student success, graduation rates, the R-Score, etc. seem far from the minds of our elected officials.
Probably because half of college students are not of voting age.
Moreover, English-speaking students probably deserve to atone for the sins of their ancestors.
If this bill is so important, even crucial, for the Quebec nation, could we not do the exercise rigorously, together, rather than divisively?
College students deserve better.
Francophone Quebecers deserve better.
Anglophone and allophone Quebecers, too.
Is there a captain of this legislative ship gone adrift?
Christian Corno, director general of Marianopolis College
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
Houston braces for flooding to worsen in wake of storms
High waters flooded neighborhoods around Houston on Saturday following heavy rains that have already resulted in crews rescuing hundreds of people from homes, rooftops and roads engulfed in murky water.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
What a U.S. farmworker’s case of bird flu tells us about tracking the infection
A U.S. farmworker who caught bird flu after working with dairy cattle in Texas appears to be the first known case of mammal-to-human transmission of the virus, a new study shows.
‘We made them safer and more fun’: Here’s what’s new about e-scooters
Electric scooters (e-scooters) have been gaining popularity in the capital and this season comes with some changes and updates.
Hulk Hogan, hurricanes and a blockbuster recording: A week in review of the Trump hush money trial
Crucial witnesses took the stand in the second week of testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial, including a California lawyer who negotiated deals at the center of the case and a longtime adviser to the former president.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Canadian Auger-Aliassime reaches first Masters final in Madrid with another walkover
Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime has advanced to his first ATP Masters final, and he hasn't had to play all that much tennis to do it.