EMSB applauds decision to be included in Bill 86 hearings

MONTREAL – The English Montreal School Board, the largest English board in the province, announced Friday that it was pleased with the decision to be included in the parliamentary hearings surrounding Bill 86.

The bill aims to modify the organization and governance of school boards in the province by granting more control to parents.

Earlier in the week, the Quebec English School Boards Association (QESBA), called for the Minister of Education, to step down over his handling of bill 86.

READ MORE: English School Boards want Quebec’s education minister out

The association which groups nine English boards, worries about the long term effects of the proposed bill on the English-speaking community. The legislation aims to abolish school board elections which has some fearing it will lead to taxation without representation.

While the QESBA, had been invited to speak at the hearings, the EMSB as well as the Comission Scolaire de Montreal (CSDM), the largest French board in Quebec, had not initially been asked to participate.

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On Thursday, the Anglophone community found an unlikely ally in the National Assembly, when Parti Quebecois leader Pierre-Karl Péladeau accused the Liberal government of not respecting their rights when it comes to Bill 86.

WATCH BELOW: The PQ leader says the Liberal government is not respecting anglophone rights when it comes to Bill 86.

1:16 PKP on Bill 86

Angela Mancini, head of the EMSB, said it was a respect owed to both the EMSB and the CSDM, to be included in the proceedings. But whether the government will listen has yet to be seen.

“I certainly hope that the Minister of Education, François Blais, will listen to what we have to say,” Mancini said.

A committee is scheduled to begin studying the bill on Jan. 28. As it stands, the bill is expected to become law on July 1 of this year.