PQ proposal: If elected, cut budgets to English CEGEPs

As election years near, the Parti Quebecois has a tradition of playing to its hardline base.

This time is no different.

If elected into power next year, the separatist party is considering dramatically cutting the budgets of English CEGEPs to stem the growing enrolment of francophone students.

Admission numbers among francophone students to Quebec’s five English CEGEPs have been increasing in recent years.

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Conversely, the enrolment is decreasing among anglophone students to the same CEGEPs.

If the PQ forms the next government, the party’s militant base is proposing to set funding to English CEGEPS based on the number of anglophones attending and not on overall enrolment numbers as is currently the case.

“If we’re successful in convincing a greater number of Francophones and Allophones that if you want to have a good grasp of English a French CEGEP is a good way to go,” Lisée said at a Tuesday morning press conference from the party’s headquarters in Montreal.

Lisée says he has no plans to extend Bill 101 to post-secondary education.

“There’s an equilibrium to be found and that’s where we want to go,” he said.

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But as least one English rights advocacy group argues cutting budgets to English CEGEPs hurts everyone.

“Any coercive measure to an English CEGEP to limit access is detrimental to Quebec,” Sylvia Martin-Laforge told Global News.

The PQ convention is scheduled for this weekend at the Palais du Justice.