From: michele@catnix.UUCP (Michele Simond)
Newsgroups: can.politics
Subject: Re: Les interets collectifs
Date: 5 Sep 92 05:10:14 GMT
	    <1992Sep2.150804.7821@spxtech.qc.ca>
Reply-To: michele%catnix@cam.org
Organization: Rhinoceros, chargez!


steven@spxtech.qc.ca (Steve Potter) asks :
>
> How does forcing English-speaking children (who could learn French in an
> immersion program) to attend French school help to defend the collective
> interests of the French community?

Before you go on reading, let me tell you that I am from Swiss origin,
which information may help to enlighten the following response.
If the Canadian Confederation had been built on the same principles
as the Swiss Confederation, this question would never be asked, and
nobody in the country would ever argue, nor think of arguing about 
this kind of situation (except, maybe Robin Collins... :-} ... )

Although you have been here for a relatively long time (from what I
gather), you were not here in the late 50's-early 60's and on until
Bill 22, when a great number of non-french speaking immigrants, as well
as a large portion of french-speaking immigrants, sent their children
to English schools.  (Now, I know that for many french-speaking
immigrants, one of the major reasons for sending their kids to
English schools was related to religion, but this is irrelevant 
to my answer.)  Most immigrants of the time believed that to
succeed here, one had to speak English and had better be educated
in an English school (note that this thinking has not disappeared
entirely, as the example of prominent Quebec politicians sending their
own children to private English schools attests). 

I am also aware that in the 70's the situation had changed slightly,
and that the problem was not as severe as it had been before, as
Mr. Henripin himself admitted.  But I still remember the time, in
the early 60's, when my father would shop at Dupuis Freres and on
St-Hubert Street because those were almost the only places where
one could be served in French in Montreal.

As I wrote in an earlier posting (which by the way seems to have
vanished somewhere around the net), bill 178 (the sign law) should be
amended, if not abolished, to allow bilingual, even multilingual
signs.  But as for the school accessibility, I am quite skeptical.
Although it may be clear for people who have been residents of
this province for quite some time that Quebec has a definite
French visage, things may not be that obvious for potential
immigrants (as your later postings suggest).  If the
government were to retract and say "OK guys. Any immigrant of
English origin, and not only native English Canadians can send
their children to English schools", I can already hear the voices
of all those coming from a country part of the Commonwealth
saying that they should be eligible, even if they, themselves,
don't know more than 2 or 3 words of English.  And I can hear
all those other voices saying "Well, why can't I have the choice
also?".  It's always the same problem it seems: where do we
trace the margin between individual and collective rights?

I don't know how things work in your part of town, Mr. Potter,
but here, in Greenfield Park, children like your own who have
to attend French schools (wherever they come from) have privileges
(or should I say opportunities?) my own kids have not. Before those
children are integrated in the regular program (which can take as
long as 3-4 years), they go to what is called "classes d'accueil"
where they have the best teachers, participate in a lot more
extra-curricular activities, have access to more services than
the other kids of the school.  This is not a complaint; only
a remark.


>Is it in the collective interest of the French community to make "newcomer"
>anglophones in Quebec angry, resentful and bitter?

No, it is not in the interest of the French community to
make newcomers in Quebec (wherever they come from) resentful
and bitter.  But some agency (whether Federal or Provincial)
obviusly does not do its job properly.  You mentioned in a
later posting that you had not been advised that Quebec's
laws stipulated your children would have to attend French
schools.  It is clear that some civil servant did not do
his/her job correctly.  Then why blame the French community
as a whole?  We have our extremists, like everywhere else;
but like everybody else, most of us want peace and tranquillity,
and good relationships with friends and neighbours.

>Quebec is surely a better place to learn French than in England or
>Australia. (Even if it is a Quebec dialect :-) )

And a good place to learn English too!  ;-)


>What is to be gained, in the collective interests of the French community,
>by turning a marvellous opportunity to learn one of the World's most
>important languages into a legally imposed obligation?

Maybe I'm wrong, and plase correct me if I am, but I tend to
believe that, if it had not been for the sign law (Bill Boubou),
the perception would not be the same.  People would come here
knowingly, fully aware that Quebec is French and educates
children in French (except those coming from native English
Canadian families).  It would not be more frustrating than for
a German citizen moving to the French part of Switzerland.  It
could even be better, since all other services (health, justice,
relations (?) with government agencies, etc.) are available in English,
and, I believe, in a score of other languages.

I will conclude by saying that even if I find you very very irritating
at times, I do believe you are as valuable as any other person in this
province.  So stick with us and you may find a place worth living
in.  And be very careful about the way you convey your ideas and
wishes to your children.  Don't forget they are our future. And
our future will be, for a great part, what we have taught our
children. It can be as ugly or as nice as our beliefs, and
dreams, and ideologies, and utopias.  Our main responsibility,
as parents, is to teach our children that whatever our colour,
language, religion, we are all worth living as long as we
respect each other.

I hope my English was clear enough to convey my thoughts.  If you
have doubts, or questions, don't hesitate to e-mail me. I'll be
happy to try to make myself more understandable.


--
Michele Simond ...... Traductrice ......  B.P.: michele@catnix.UUCP
(514) 671-8820				   OU :	michele%catnix@cam.org

"Vous avez une araignee au plafond?"
- Non. Plutot une toile d'araignee entre les jambes.
Newsgroups: can.politics