It’s Time for More Integrated French-English Education

No matter how often we remind ourselves that Montreal is a cosmopolitan city, the adoption of the education provisions of the Charter of the French Language, a.k.a. Bill 101, in the Montreal area has somehow ensured that voices from affected communities remain marginalized.

Forgotten, for example, is the bilingual school system developed largely for the Italian immigrant community, which, in the 1950s and 1960s, insisted that their children master both official languages — and which wanted no part in the simmering debates between language activists. One need only recall the Saint Leonard riots of 1969 and the mid-1970s protests against Bill 22 from allophone communities, which formed the backdrop to the adoption of Bill 101.

The point is that those without vested political or ideological interests — other than wanting the best education for their children — have always maintained a desire to acquire the language skills necessary to succeed in their adopted city.

These are the communities that have been most receptive to the idea of creating integrated schools, where all children, regardless of background, could attend and have French as the primary language of instruction, while also receiving an important segment of their education in English. The goal would be to produce graduates who not only master both languages but can also integrate into a community culture that is not as segregated along linguistic lines.

It is not only allophones who support this idea and see its benefits. More united learning environments should be the logical alternative to our segregated educational system, benefiting all Quebecers. This system would not only pool educational resources but also give all students access to networks that are currently denied to them. If we expect our children to play, grow up, and work together, why can’t we educate them together as well?

The challenge this proposal will face is not how to maintain linguistic minority rights within its system, nor how to provide it with the legal framework to accomplish its mission — solutions for that could be found, whether through a Quebec constitution or amendments to the current law. The real challenge will be how to ensure this idea is heard as it competes for attention against those who view every alternative as a threat. Too often, ideas are criticized by institutional interests more comfortable being perceived as victims than as innovators.