From: steven@spxtech.qc.ca (Steven C. Potter)
Newsgroups: can.politics
Subject: Re: Anglo rights in Quebec (was: Canadian Collectivism)
Date: 17 Aug 92 15:01:53 GMT
Distribution: can
Organization: Securiplex Technologies Inc., Montreal, Canada
X-Bytes: 3853

From article <CLAMEN.92Aug16080513@BYRON.SP.CS.CMU.EDU>, by clamen@CS.CMU.EDU
 Stewart Clamen writes:

>  (I, Steve P., wrote) :
>
>      Quebec nationalists make a habit of talking about English in
>      Quebec as if it were a foreign language - particularly when they
>      are trying to justify denying access to English school for
>      English people (landed immigrants or Canadian citizens) who have
>      come here since Bill 101 was passed.
> 
> (Stewart responded) :
>
> This problem (and others) notwithstanding, the English language and
> the anglophone community do command a considerable number of rights
> and privileges in Quebec.  By virtue of the Canadian Constitution
> ...
> [various "rights & privileges" followed
> ...
>       ...     By virtue of the new Education Act, anglophones
> have the right to establish their own school boards and to manage
> their own schools (something that is finally, after 77 years,
> happening for franco-Albertans).

  There are more than 10,000 (about 13,000 by some estimates) anglophone
  children who do have access to English schools in Quebec - that is the
  issue.

  The English school system in Quebec has lost half its students and a
  third of its schools in 15 years.

>   Stewart Clamen writes (among other things) :-
> 
> Oh, two sensitivity examples.  The education committee that Gretta
> Chambers chaired, the one that documented the demographic crisis
> facing English-language schools?  The one that suggested that the
> children of (recent) immigrants from English-speaking countries be
> allowed to attend English sector schools?  The one which researched
> and generated the number you keep repeating?  Do you think it formed
> by itself or something?  It was a GOVERNMENT committee.

  The Chambers Task Force was established following an embarrasing 
  attempt by the education ministry to prevent children who had
  not actually held their "eligibility" certificate in their hands
  from registering in English schools. The department had been known to
  take months to process the applications for those certificates. La Presse
  called the attempt "Heavy artillery to kill a fly" [transl.].

  To get out of the situation [and, I suspect, to test the waters of
  public opinion on the access question] Michel Page established the
  Task Force after a meeting with Alliance Quebec officials. [I had been
  lobbying the A.Q. officials with particular vigour and determination
  at the time - both from the Montreal Chapter Board and from the parents
  group.]

  Determined efforts were made to influence the Task Force, (that's how
  democracy works).

  Next step?

  Lobby the Quebec Government. This is still in progress.

  It is expected that the remaining recommendations of the Task Force report -
  the "Access" question in particular - will be part of the Bill 101 debate to
  take place next spring/summer. [Bill 178 expires in Decamber next year].

>
> I will add that an independent Quebec would be obliged to retain for
> its anglophone minority most of the rights and privileges they already
                          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> enjoy.  Linguistic guarantees in a Quebec constitution would be
  ^^^^^
> required in order to prevent a wholesale anglophone migration, an act
> which would have significant (possibly even severe) economic
> consequences, both locally and internationally.
> 

  Now that's another subject.  :-)

  

  Best regards, Stewart,


                                             Steve P.

-- 
  ///==================================================================\\\
  ||| Steve Potter:         steven%spxtech@CAM.ORG                     |||
  ||| Expertise/Experience: Computer Systems Engineering / Real Ale /  |||
  |||                       Politics in Education in Quebec            |||