Achi news desk-
Quebec’s French language minister says if CEGEP English has a problem with the new French language exam for students, it just shows the province’s language laws are needed.
Jean-Francois Roberge also says some English school boards need to do more.
Without singling out special boards, Roberge said some English school boards were not doing enough at the primary and secondary school level to ensure their pupils graduated with a better understanding of French.
He was responding to comments made by the head of Dawson College in an interview with the Journal de Montréal on Tuesday. CEO Diane Gavin expressed concern about the results of the first exit exam in the French language that will be held in December.
According to Bill 96, students who do not have an eligibility certificate will have to take a test in order to graduate, and depending on eligibility, all students will have to take three program courses in French or three courses in French as a second language.
In an interview, Gavin noted that some of the students are newcomers to Quebec who have never studied French and some came from private English schools that were exempt from the French language convention.
She added that some teachers also need to increase their level of French in order to teach their subjects. But Roberge says that if CEGEPs are struggling to apply Bill 96, it shows that changes made to Quebec’s language laws were needed.
“I understand that for some CEGEPs like Dawson it’s hard, but it’s important. If it’s hard, it’s because it’s important, it’s because they have to change. It’s not normal to go to CEGEP here in Quebec and not be able to learn French there and pass the French test Roberge said at a press conference on Wednesday.
“I won’t say that all English school boards are not doing a good job. That’s not true. But some students are going to study CEGEP in Anglophone and we’ll see – we’ll see – but they don’t seem to be able to learn French. If that’s true, some change needs to be made.”
The minister did not clarify when asked what changes would have to be made.
When reached by CTV News on Wednesday, Dawson College said no one was available for an interview.
