From: 4224_5201@uwovax.uwo.ca (John LaRocque)
Subject: Re: INTolerance in Quebec
Organization: University of Western Ont, London
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 18:02:54 GMT

In article <1993Jan25.041258.18018@spxtech.qc.ca>, steven@spxtech.qc.ca (Steve Potter) writes:
> From article <C1DMEt.8Jq@mach1.wlu.ca>, by scooper6@mach1.wlu.ca (stephen cooper 9209 U):
>> In article <1993Jan24.114934.13724@spxtech.qc.ca> steven@spxtech.qc.ca (Steve Potter) writes:
>>>In article <1993Jan22.193947.28704@bnrmtl.bnr.ca> phallard@bmtlh209.BNR.CA (Philippe Allard) writes:
>>>
>>>>I am quite surprised to read that you know of many anglophone families
>>>>whose children were forced to go to french school. In fact, you should know
>>>>that, even if bill 101 forces most immigrants to go to french school,
>>>>anybody whose parents (one or both) went to english school has himself the
>>>>right to go to english school. In other words, under the current law, no
>>>>anglophone is forced to go to french school.
>>>>
>>>
>>>WRONG!
>>>
>>>Somewhere between 10,000 and 13,000 English mother tongue children are
>>>currently denied access to English schooling in Quebec - because of
>>>certain unnessecarily restrictive provisions of Bill 101.
>>>
>>>A large part of my battle is overcoming ignorance on the subject. This
>>>ignorance is not restricted to the general public. There are a number of
>>>high ranking politicians and civil servants who are terribly misinformed.
>> 
>> You must be an immigrant then.  The Charter of Rights and Freedoms states
>> that parents who were educated in English in Canada have the right to send
>> their children to English school.  However, Americans and British immigrants
>> moving to Quebec have to send their kids to school in French.
>> 
> 
> Sigh!
> 
> My wife and I are both Canadian citizens (since July 1984). We landed in
> Quebec in September of 1980. We were both educated in English in England
> and have (or had - my wife's parents died) English speaking parents. We
> can NOT send our English speaking children to English school in Quebec!
> 
> The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms paragraph 23(1)(b) (the educated
> in minority language of the province part you are referring to) only applies
> to Canadian citizens - that is correct. Paragraph 23(1)(a) provides for
> citizens whose mother tongue is that of the minority language population
> of the province in which they reside to be able to send their children to
> schooling in that language. Paragraph 23(1)(a) is not applicable in Quebec
> because Jean Chretien put paragraph 59 in the 1982 Constitution agreement.
> 
> Anyone who (even if they were educated in english, or whose mother tongue
> is english) came to Quebec after Bill 101 became applicable on 26th august,
> 1977 (whether they are Canadian citizens or not) can not send their
> children to English schools in Quebec. Their children are declared
> "ineligible" for instruction in English!
> 
> There are about 10,000 to 13,000 english speaking children thus affected in
> Quebec.
> 
>> One thing I want to know is, why did you move to Quebec?  Was it for a job?
> 
> Yes.
> 
> CAE Electronics offered a decent relocation package and a decent salary at
> the time.
> 
> Quebec House in London said nothing of the racist policies of the Quebec
> legislature during our 'interviews' before we came over here.
> 
> 
> Bill 178 (the stupid signs law) was the trigger for me (and many others).
> 
> Now I'm mad as hell and I'm doing my best to get this legislation fixed.
> 
> There are ways to encourage the use of French in Quebec without denying
> people basic human rights.
> 
> There are immersion programs available in English schools here. Anyone
> coming here who doesn't want his children to learn French (if they
> intend to stay here) is nuts, IMHO.
> 
> I have no problem with my children learning French. I think they have
> a better opportunity to learn French here in Quebec than I did in
> England years ago.
> 
> That's not the issue.
> 
> It is a question of being allowed to be a fully legitimate member of 
> whatever is left of the English community in which we have chosen to
> live. That, naturally, includes the right to send our children to
> publicly funded English schools here if we choose to do so.
> 
> 
>  
> -- 
>   ///==================================================================\\\
>   ||| Steve Potter:         steven@spxtech.qc.ca                       |||
>   ||| Expertise/Experience: Computer Systems Engineering / Real Ale /  |||
>   |||                       Politics in Education in Quebec            |||
> -- 
>   ///==================================================================\\\
>   ||| Steve Potter:         steven@spxtech.qc.ca                       |||
>   ||| Expertise/Experience: Computer Systems Engineering / Real Ale /  |||
>   |||                       Politics in Education in Quebec            |||
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