English CEGEPs starting to feel the weight of French-language law reform in Quebec

As 145,000 students trickle back into Quebec CEGEPs, John Halpin, director general of John Abbott College in Montreal's West Island, says "our employees are exhausted."

That's because this year is like none other due to the significant changes brought on by the province's new Law 14, stemming from Bill 96, which was passed by the Legault government in May 2022 to protect the French language.

The more significant changes won't come until 2024, but preparations are already underway to begin capping enrolment numbers, prioritizing English-eligible students and offering classes in French.

Already, school administrations are searching for ways to prepare certain students — those who don't have English eligibility — to not only pass those classes in French but also pass a newly mandated French-language exam.

Vanier College spokesperson Isabelle Moncion said the law essentially requires that English-language CEGEPs split students into two categories: Those with English eligibility and those without it.

"Previously, once a student was admitted, their academic path was defined by their program and their own success. Now, language proficiency is a factor," she said.

New French-language study requirements

By 2024, students attending English CEGEP will be required to take five courses in French.

For those with English eligibility, those can be French-as-a-second-language courses or their regular classes in French. For those without eligibility, it has to be a mix of French as a second language and regular classes in French.

English eligibility is largely determined by family history. For example, a student is eligible to study in English if one of their parents is a Canadian citizen who studied in English in Canada, as laid out in Bill 101.

Ineligible students who attend English CEGEPs must also pass an exam in French called Épreuves uniformes en langue d'enseignement et littérature (ÉULEL) to graduate. This is the same exam students in the French CEGEPs are required to pass.

To ensure students are able to take all the required courses in French and prepare for the exam, "we have doubled all our program grids, which was logistically and administratively challenging," said Christian Corno of Marianopolis College in Westmount, Que.

Officials from several CEGEPs have told Radio-Canada that they have prepared additional measures to support students who are weaker in French, ensuring they can pass their classes and the mandatory examination.

While that may seem simple on paper, it has had a significant impact on school organization, schedules, facilities and teaching teams, said Moncion.

Rushing to get ready

French teachers have worked tirelessly in recent months to develop the new courses that will help students pass the uniform French examination, said Diane Gauvin, Dawson College's director general.

But despite that extra preparation, Corno said there is still an experimental aspect to all of this.

"This is the most significant reform we've endured in 30 years, and I choose my words carefully," he said. "I don't think we've fully measured all the effects yet."

All the institution directors contacted by Radio-Canada agree that the past year required a monumental effort to comply with the new rules set by the Legault government.

"It has been stressful, frustrating. At times, we were exasperated. But we didn't give up because the alternative was to fall apart, and we couldn't allow that," said Don Shewan, director of Champlain College in Saint-Lambert.

Law 14 imposes several restrictions on admissions. For example, English CEGEPs are expected to prioritize English-eligible applicants.

However, the government has been slow to clarify these restrictions, and so little has changed so far. Students were accepted last spring as usual, with no effort to reach linguistic requirements.

Capping enrolment at English CEGEPs

The law also puts a cap on the number of students allowed to attend English CEGEPs. There are financial penalties for exceeding the quota.

This quota cannot increase and must not exceed 17.5 per cent of the total number of students in the entire college network.

For now, the Ministry of Higher Education has decided to maintain the current enrolments. But officials are worried about what this means for the future.

Corno said that the admissions cap, coupled with the prioritization of English eligible students, will mean the number of francophone and allophones attending English CEGEPs will decrease.

"But, in my opinion, a higher education student should be able to choose the institution that meets their needs," he said.

CEGEPs will not receive funding for the "extra" students, and they will also face a financial penalty of $3,500 per "excess" student this year, and about $7,000 per student starting next year.

"We will be penalized in two ways," Corno said. "We have explained many times to anyone who will listen that the admissions process is not an exact science."

Job losses low at this point

At this point, the impact on jobs is relatively low, according to the various colleges consulted, but it will be more complicated in 2024 because of the required addition of offering courses in French.

At Champlain College, there are teachers who are unable to teach their subjects in French and will lose their jobs, said Shewan.

To avoid having to lay off certain employees, some CEGEPs like Vanier College plan to request funding from the government to help their teachers prepare to teach in French.

Moncion said the school is still sorting out which courses will be offered in French.

They will also need to determine how many new French-speaking professors will need to be hired and which English-speaking professors will need to be let go for their lack of French proficiency, she said.

"We are not out of the woods," said Corno. "This is not a minor reform."

Radio-Canada asked the ministers of justice, the French language, and higher education to respond to the comments and concerns raised by the directors of English CEGEPs. Only the minister of higher education, Pascale Déry, responded.

"For our government, slowing the decline of the French language is a priority, and we commend the efforts made by anglophone institutions to comply with the new provisions of the Charter of the French Language," said Déry in a statement.

"We are aware of the challenge this represents and that the work is not done."

Déry said the ministries will be there to support colleges during the transition, "as they have been since the beginning."