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new french requirements were hard to adapt to, english cegeps say
they had to overhaul programs, hire new teachers and cut out some complementary courses.
aug 23 2024
3 minute read
john mcmahon, director general of vanier college, in his office in montreal.
allen mcinnis
/
montreal gazette files
adapting to bill 96 requirements coming into effect this fall has been a challenge, english cegeps say.
the schools have been busy overhauling their usual offerings and finding new teachers to be able to provide additional french courses to new students, who, under the latest rules, must complete five total to graduate.
“every single program had to be modified over the last year in order to accommodate those french course program requirements,” vanier college director-general john mcmahon said in an interview during the first week of the fall 2024 semester. “it was difficult and challenging, to complete all of those grids in the time required.”
vanier was among cegeps that had asked the government to delay the implementation of the new requirements, but that request was denied.
“we indicated our disagreement with that decision and we lobbied to have it changed, but ultimately we have an obligation as a public college to respect the law,” mcmahon said. “so we did that.”
the changes effective this semester are the last of many that have been phased in since may 2022, when quebec amended bill 96 to include new requirements for english cegeps. earlier changes included requiring french exit exams for students who do not have certificates of eligibility for instruction in english; prioritizing certificate holders in admissions; and capping the number of students permitted to enrol in english cegeps in quebec.
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the latest change means all new students will have to pass more french classes than previously required to graduate, but the specifics differ depending on whether a student has a certificate of eligibility for instruction in english. a person qualifies for english eligibility if they or a sibling did the majority of their elementary or secondary school studies in english in canada or if their parents did a majority of their elementary studies in english in canada.
those with certificates can choose to take the additional courses in the form of core classes taught in french or in the form of more french-language classes. those without certificates will be required to take at least two of their core classes in french. that’s in addition to the french courses that were already a requirement for both groups.
the different streams have made the shift particularly onerous for cegeps, who must ensure students are on the correct path to be able to graduate at the end of their two- or three-year programs.
“that’s part of the logistics that have been difficult to implement,” said alex borja, dean of academic organization at champlain college in st-lambert. “it’s sometimes hard to put it into words — or even into visuals — just to kind of show all the different paths that students have to follow, and for the adviser to work with students … ensuring that we don’t make a mistake.”
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the change in some cases has also meant having to cut complementary courses.
“modern languages was greatly affected here at vanier and other cegeps because that’s where we had to find the hours in complementary courses in order to meet the requirements,” mcmahon said. “we were able to mitigate the impact in other areas by working very closely with our faculty to determine which faculty were willing and able to teach in french, so that we could consider those courses as options.”
vanier is still in the process of hiring enough french teachers to meet the requirement, mcmahon said. he expects that to be resolved in the coming days.
some students have expressed concern over how the new rules will affect them, but the schools say they’ve been hard at work to make the transition as seamless as possible.
“when the advisers or the admissions people have an opportunity to kind of explain the academic path, i think those concerns are maybe reduced to a certain degree,” borja said.
at dawson college, students have launched a petition in support of their indigenous peers, who as it stands are not exempt from needing several french courses to graduate.
“we urge everyone to sign this petition as a concrete action you can take for reconciliation,” leilah doyle, the vice-president of external affairs at the dawson student union, said in a statement.
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indigenous groups and cegep administrators, including mcmahon, have expressed concern about how the new requirements will affect indigenous students, worried they could derail their post-secondary plans.
“our message is still to encourage the government to meet with indigenous communities and look at their challenges so that they can address it in an appropriate way,” mcmahon said.
the petition, which is sponsored by westmount–st-louis mna jennifer maccarone, will be available until the national day for truth and reconciliation on sept. 30. it had about 630 signatures as of thursday afternoon.
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