Quebec commits to enhancement - lacking additional action
With a chaotic year of classroom closures and teacher layoffs in the rearview mirror, Quebec plans to prevent a repeat of the mayhem with better planning.
Stepping up to the plate, Quebec's Minister of Immigration, Jean-François Roberge, and Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville, unveiled a $119.4 million deal with school boards on Wednesday to finance French courses till June 2026.
The objective is to provide more steadiness and predictability, following a 2024-2025 school year where budget cuts resulted in the cancellation of courses, closure of classes, and dismissal of teachers.
In the fall of 2024, protests erupted in several regions, with unions taking issue with the government's inconsistency and urging the preservation of French while cutting down on francization services. During a press conference on Wednesday, Jean-François Roberge expressed a desire to "francize the same number of people, but better, without all the drama," as reported by Radio-Canada. He acknowledged the financial and organizational constraints the system faces and suggested that the solution lies in decreasing demand, primarily through a reduction in temporary immigration.
Roberge stated that approximately 90,000 people received francization services in Quebec in 2024-2025, a 25% increase from the previous year. The number of people waiting has dropped from 47,000 to 25,000, "despite the significant increase in recent years in the number of temporary residents who fall under federal jurisdiction." A new series of online modules for beginner adults is also set to debut.
The official opposition criticizes the late planning. "Minister Jean-François Roberge acknowledges the failure of Francisation Quebec and promises better planning for the coming year. How can we trust him?" responded Liberal MNA André A. Morin in a statement. The average waiting times have gone from 32 days in 2022-2023 to 84 working days today, amounting to nearly four months of waiting to access a course, he laments.
- Government of Quebec
On the brighter side, Quebec aims to bolster French language education by offering part-time courses for immigrants with flexible scheduling (4–24 hours weekly, day/evening/weekend options), free tuition, and hybrid in-class/distance learning options [1]. These courses will follow a streamlined application process through a centralized online platform, complete with translated forms and client support [3]. Course durations will be unified at 10 weeks per session to ensure consistency [1].
Additionally, starting from June 1, 2025, businesses with 25+ employees will face mandatory francization processes, ensuring French prioritization in professional settings [4]. This, in turn, reinforces the need for French proficiency for immigrants and residents alike.
Policies aimed at French acquisition through free courses and penalizing institutional anglicization via legislation continue to shape Quebec's educational landscape [2]. Despite criticisms that tuition changes may harm Montreal’s academic reputation while providing minimal linguistic benefits [2], the government persists in reinforcing French without causing administrative chaos post-2025.
- The Quebec government has unveiled a plan to ensure better planning in French education, aiming to prevent future chaos by providing more stability and predictability.
- As part of this plan, a $119.4 million deal will fund French courses until June 2026.
- The government's goal is to decrease demand for francization services, primarily through a reduction in temporary immigration, as acknowledged by Minister of Immigration, Jean-François Roberge.
- Starting from June 1, 2025, businesses with 25 or more employees in Quebec will face mandatory francization processes, reinforcing the need for French proficiency in professional settings.
