Quebec Liberal Leader Dominique Anglade paid a visit to Dawson College Thursday, taking the opportunity to criticize the CAQ for the scrapped expansion of the English CEGEP and the latest developments surrounding the government’s new language law.
Anglade stopped to chat with students in the upper atrium.
“I told her that I have friends here who are francophone students who chose to go to an English CEGEP, and they are talking about leaving the province because they don’t feel represented by their government,” said Dawson student Casey Kiss.
The hot topic among students was the Legault government’s decision to scrap a $100-million expansion plan in order to prioritize upgrades at French CEGEPs.
“The quality of the teaching here is threatened by the fact that they cannot expand,” said Anglade.
The expansion would not have meant more enrolment, but would have created more space and better teaching facilities in the overpacked school.
During Anglade’s visit, students took the opportunity to publicize their official national assembly petition demanding the government put the expansion project back on the table.
“We’re very proud to mobilize not just students, but Quebec as a whole around this petition so that our voice can be heard at the national assembly level,” said Dawson Student Union president Alexandrah Cardona.
“There’s not enough space and we’re trying to do something about it, but they’re limiting it. We can’t do anything about it if no one’s helping,” said student Mia Savage-Moquen.
Anglade is accusing the CAQ of trying to apply Bill 101 to CEGEPs without saying it is.
“They know it’s not popular to say that they want to apply Bill 101 to CEGEPs, so they’re finding different ways to go ahead with that. That’s really hypocritical, really hypocritical from the government,” she said.
Quebec is working on its new French-language protection legislation, Bill 96. On Wednesday some amendments were tabled. The government wants to turn the English CEGEP enrolment freeze into law and force CEGEP students in English programs to take three courses in French in order to graduate. The latter idea was originally presented by Liberals, but Anglade said she cannot support the bill in its current form.
“What basically the government is doing is telling adults what they should be doing, and we’re really fed up with that,” she said.
Dawson director-general Diane Gauvin said that “imposing too many limits is going to be problematic and can seriously affect students’ success.”
Some hijab-wearing students already hurt by Bill 21 are now feeling disrespected by the government yet again.
Maryam Chaudry pointed to how she is now barred from certain jobs as someone who wears a hijab, and is now facing language-related restrictions.
“We’ll be denied all these new resources,” she said. “It’s unfair.”
The expansion would have made more space for health programs like nursing.
“You’re telling English students that you’re not deserving of being a nursing student or a doctor because you speak English,” said student Gurpreet Kaur.
Students said Anglade’s visit made them feel heard and gave them hope.
They hope their petition creates change.
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