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
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Feds hope to table foreign interference legislation next week: LeBlanc
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to table legislation this week to help the federal government address foreign interference, but he wouldn't say whether the proposal will include a foreign agent registry.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
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.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.