Act 1977 and Quebec Act 2021

In most national circles, we found only one answer to update Bill 101, namely, to return to its original form. With the addition of CEGEP in French for French speakers and lyophones.

They willingly say Bill 101 is a failure, but their only solution is to get more Bill 101!

The problem is that this law was written in 1977 and still mostly reflects the world as it was 44 years ago. It’s a time when the phone isn’t mobile, the PC and the internet are just a weave of the mind, the mouse is just a little rodent and the Canadian who wins the Stanley Cup isn’t bad every spring.

Much has changed in important sectors of Quebec’s life that this 1977 law remains the sole basis of our language policies. If there is one thing that can be criticized for Bill 96, it is not to leave the world that witnessed the birth of Bill 101.

Reshape

Instead, Minister Simon Jolin-Barrett did a thorough and meticulous job to fix all the faults discovered in building Bell 101 for a period of 44 years, but without presenting the 2021 Vision to him. Regardless, of course, from this constitutional recognition which remains, even if symbolic, essential.

It looks a lot like an exercise a homeowner should do when trying to sell an old home: Seal all the cracks with plaster and repaint them, hoping that the inevitable new cracks won’t appear until they are sold. .

But the real test is not what voters will think about the bill in the 2022 elections, it is what France will be like in 15 or 20 years.

There are a lot of things that have changed since 1977. Starting with immigration: In 1977, Quebec did not have the power to choose immigrants.

It wasn’t until the following year when the Cullen-Couture Agreement first gave Quebec the right to participate directly in the selection of immigrants abroad. It has been amended several times since then to increase Quebec’s powers, leading to the emigration of more French speakers from 1977.

There are also things that changed once immigrants arrived in Quebec. Thus, the patterns of integration changed. Connecting to the country of origin is much easier today through the Internet and satellite TV.

This means that you retain your native language for a longer period. When Minister Simon Gulin-Barrett wanted to reduce the rate of language transmission from 53 to 90%, it may no longer be the benchmark for success as in 1977, The first language spoken at home.

English and French

We must also take into account the place of the French and English languages, which has changed a lot since 1977. At that time, we can say that English was really the language of business. But today it has become the language of science. So we must be careful when we want to change admission rules to CEGEP.

In university research, all disciplines combined, more than 90% of papers were published in English in mid-2010 and more than 80% in France and Germany. In pure science, almost everything. This trend can only be accentuated since then.

We can certainly denounce her, but we cannot ignore this fact. This means that if one is preparing for higher education, not only a basic knowledge of the English language is required, but an ability to understand the nuances of complex issues.

We will not be training the next generation of leading AI researchers if they only master French. It might be sad, but it is the case.

However, Prime Minister Legault admitted in a press conference that the Quebec school system does not provide adequate training in English. Little wonder then that many want to go improve their English at English-speaking CEGEP.

For decades, Quebec governments of all parties spoke well of personal bilingualism, while their policies had the opposite effect.

In fact, even if it seems paradoxical, the best way to retain them in French language institutions is to teach them good English at the elementary and secondary levels. We’ll see what the government intends to do about it. But the law completely ignores this question.

Additionally, there is no evidence that this prompts the assimilation of French speakers or those called French Exercise 101 They will suddenly forget the language they learned during the 11 years they studied in elementary and high school in French.

Bill 96 will undoubtedly be very popular and will definitely contribute more to the popularity of the CAQ government. This is because it meets strong popular demand for Do something to counter the French descent. But given what he neglects, it is doubtful whether Bell96 would really do so. Not for the 1970s, but for the 1920s.