1977 Act and 2021 Quebec Act

In most nationalist circles, we have found only one answer to the modernization of Bill 101, i.e. a return to its original wording. With the inclusion of CEGEP in French for Francophones and Allophones.

They willingly say that Bill 101 has failed, but their only solution is to have even more Bill 101!

The problem is, this law was written in 1977 and still reflects the world as it was 44 years ago. When the phone is not portable, the personal computer and the internet are just toys of the mind, the rat is a little hamster and the Canadian Stanley Cup is not bad every spring bad towel.

The 1977 Act made many changes in key areas of Quebec life to make it the sole basis for our language policies. If there is one thing that can be criticized about Bill 96, it is that it did not leave the world that saw the birth of Bill 101.

Replastering

Instead, Minister Simon Jolin-Barrett has done comprehensive and precise work for 44 years to address all the shortcomings found in Bill 101 building, but without bringing it to the attention of 2021. Except, recognition from this constitution, even if it is symbolic, is mandatory.

It’s a lot like the drill a homeowner has to go through when trying to sell an old house: he plugs all the cracks with plaster and re-paints them, hoping that the inevitable new cracks will not appear until they are finished. .

What voters think of this bill in the 2022 election is not an actual test, but how the French state will be in 15 or 20 years.

A lot has changed since 1977. Beginning with immigration: In 1977, Quebec did not have the power to select its immigrants.

The Cullen-Couture agreement gave Quebec the right to participate directly in the selection of first-time immigrants until the following year. Modified several times to increase Quebec’s powers, resulting in more French – speaking immigrants than in 1977.

There are also things that have changed since immigration to Quebec. Thus, the modes of integration have changed. It is very easy to get acquainted with the country of origin today with internet and satellite television.

This means you keep your original language longer. When Minister Simon Jolin-Barrett wanted to reduce the language transfer rate from 53% to 90%, perhaps success should not be the criterion as it was in 1977. First language spoken at home.

English and French

We should also consider the relative place of French and English, which has changed a lot since 1977. At the time, I could say that English was already a business language. But today, it has also become the language of science. So we have to be careful when we want to change the admission rules to CEGEP.

In university research, all disciplines combined, more than 90% of research was published in English between 2010 and more than 80% in France and Germany. In the pure sciences, it is almost all. This trend has only emerged since then.

We can explain it for sure, but we cannot ignore this reality. This means that if one is preparing for higher education, it is not just a basic knowledge of English, but the ability to understand subtle skills on complex issues.

We will not train the next generation of eminent researchers in artificial intelligence if they are only proficient in French. It may be sad, but that’s how it is.

However, Prime Minister Legalt agreed at a press conference that the Quebec school system does not provide adequate training in English. No wonder so many people go to improve their English in English speaking CEGEP.

For decades, while Quebec governments of all parties have spoken well of individual bilingualism, their policies have had the opposite effect.

Of course, while this may seem contradictory, the best way to keep them in French language bases is to teach them good English at the primary and secondary levels. We will see what the government wants to do about this. But the law completely sidelines this question.

In addition, there is no evidence that it pushed or called for the mobilization of Francophones Children 101 They suddenly forget the language they learned in the 11 years they did their primary and high school in French.

Bill 96 is undoubtedly very popular and will definitely contribute more to the popularity of the CAQ government. Because it has a strong popularity Do anything to counteract the French decline. But looking at what it has neglected, it is questionable whether Bill 96 really does this. Not for the 1970s, but for the 2020s.