The Decline of the English School System in Quebec and What Can Be Done About It. Richard Y. Bourhis, Département de psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) Keynote to the Research Forum on Prospects for the English School System in Québec Faculty of Education, McGill University, March 15, 2016 Background document: The Decline of the English School System in Québec Richard Bourhis & Pierre Foucher (2012) Institut canadien de recherche sur les minorités linguistiques (ICRML) Moncton, New Brunswick. 1

The Gazette citation of the week, Sunday, March 2 nd, 2008 This presentation is dedicated to Dr. Victor Goldbloom: 1924 – 2016 « We are not the enemy and its time we stopped being perceived as such » The Gazette citation of the week, Sunday, March 2 nd, 2008

The Decline of the English School system in Quebec Plan of the presentation 1.Vitality of language communities in Quebec 2.Language laws eroding access to English schools in Quebec 3.Decline of the English language School System in Quebec 4.What can be done ? 3

Part1: The vitality of Linguistic Communities The vitality of a language community is defined as: « that which makes a group likely to behave as a distinctive and active collective entity in intergroup settings» ( Giles, Bourhis & Taylor, 1977, pp 308) The more vitality a language community enjoys, the more likely it is that it will survive and thrive as a collective entity in the given intergroup context. Language communities that have little vitality are more likely to eventually cease to exist as distinctive language groups within the intergroup setting. 4

5 1.Three dimensions of Linguistic Community vitality: Demography, Institutional Support & Status Giles, Bourhis & Taylor (1977); Bourhis, Giles & Rosenthal (1981); Bourhis & Landry, (2012)

1.Mother tongue (L1) population in Quebec by number & %. Canadian Census, Mother tongue is used by Quebec government rather than FOL to craft its language laws L 1 français L 1 anglais Allophone Langue maternelle (L 1 ): Première langue apprise à la maison durant l’enfance et encore comprise au moment du recensement % % Année du recensement

1.Net interprovincial migration of Anglophones, Francophones & Allophones in Québec: Arrivals – Departures = Net Loss in thousands (k). Canadian Census: (Bourhis, 2012) Perte nette (en milliers, k Gain net Recensement 1976 PQ 1977 Loi er Référendum 1982 Constitution canadienne e Référendum Qc Enfants Loi 101 à ans à ans 1969 Loi FLQ 1974 Loi Meech Lake Enfants Loi 101

1.Quebec anglophones are losing their demographic, economic & political weight. Feeling marginalised, half of them are thinking of leaving Quebec. (Actualité, nov. 1984) 8

Bilinguisme anglais-français au Québec selon la langue maternelle (L1) des Francophones, Anglophones et Allophones. Recensements du Canada: 1971 – Source: Équipe de recherche, Secrétariat des langues officielles, Patrimoine canadien Année du recensement L 1 français L 1 anglais Allophone % % Bilingue: Capacité de soutenir une conversation dans les deux langue officielle. Statistique Canada

Part 2: Language laws eroding the institutional vitality of linguistic communities Institutional support is defined as the degree of control one group has over its own fate and that of outgroups. It can be seen as the degree of social power enjoyed by one language group relative to co-existing linguistic outgroups Institutional support is the dimension of vitality ‘par excellence’ needed by language groups to maintain and assert their presence within state and private institutions such as: education, health care, municipal government, the judicial system, business and mass media Language groups need to achieve and maintain a favorable position on the institutional support front if they wish to survive as distinctive collective entities within multilingual states (Bourhis & Landry, 2012) 10

2. Language laws eroding the status & institutional vitality of the English-speaking communities of Quebec (ESCQ) Anglophones and Allophones minorities who stayed in Quebec have proven they accept the imperative of maintaining the status and use of French in Quebec and are French/English bilinguals. The English speaking communities of Quebec are not responsible for the substantial status and spread of the English language in the world including within Quebec Quebec laws eroding the institutional vitality of the English speaking minority in Quebec will never be sufficient to neutralise the international drawing power of the English language in Quebec 11

2. Language laws eroding the status & institutional vitality of the English-speaking communities of Quebec (ESCQ) Though the English language is not threatened in Quebec, there is strong evidence that the vitality of the English speaking communities of Quebec (ESCQ) is declining demographically & on institutional front So far we have not heard or read a single statement from the Québécois Francophone establishment that has acknowledged this decline of the English-speaking communities of Quebec …WHY? Bourhis, R.Y. (2012)(Ed.) Déclin & enjeux des communautés de langue anglaise au Québec. Ottawa: Patrimoine canadien 12

2. Language laws eroding access to English schools in Quebec 1.Up to 1960s, Francophones, Anglophones, Allophones & Immigrants had freedom of choice to attend English or French public schools. However, only Catholics could attend French Catholic schools. Most non-Catholic Anglophones & Allophones were assigned to English Protestant schools. 2.The Québec Union Nationale government adopted Bill 63 (1969) and the Liberal Party government adopted Bill 22 (1974) to partially limit access to English schooling. These laws did not satisfy Francophone nationalists and alienated Anglophone & Allophone minorities (ex. St Leonard school crisis) 3.In 1977 the Parti Québécois Government adopted Bill 101 ruling that the Francophone majority and international immigrants had no right to attend English schools at primary & secondary level (grand-father clauses applied to siblings; Mallae 1984) 4.Bill 101 stipulated that Anglophone pupils could attend English schools if one parent had spent most of its primary schooling in English within Quebec and later within Canada (‘Canada clause’ following court challenges). 13

2. Language laws eroding access to English schools in Quebec 1.In 2002 Parti Québécois Government adopted Bill 104 to close the ‘loophole’ allowing Allophone and Francophone pupils to attend full fee paying English ‘bridging schools’ (écoles passerelles) for a year, to then gain access to free English public schools. It was estimated that 4000 pupils used ‘bridging schools’ from 1997 to In 2007 Allophone and Francophone parents challenged Bill 104 in Quebec Court of Appeal. In 2008 they won their case on grounds of Article 23 of Canadian Constitution 3. In 2008, Liberal Government challenged the Quebec ruling in the Canadian Supreme Court. The Québec Attorney General submited its Brief to the Supreme Court defending Bill 104 on grounds that the French language was threatened in Quebec. 14

2. Language laws eroding access to English schools in Quebec 1.In October 2009 Canadian Supreme Court ruled that Quebec had a right to preserve French language but gave the Province one year to craft a new law to limit access to English Schools without violating Article 23 of Canadian Constitution. 2.Bill 103 was proposed by Liberal Government & held Parliamentary Commission during Leger poll in May 2010 showed that 61% of Francophones & 87% of Allophones & Anglophones want their children to have more access to English Schools (Hubert Bauch, Montreal Gazette, May 11, 2010; Ariane Lacoursière, La Presse, 12 mai,

2. Language laws eroding access to English schools in Quebec Based on Bill 103, the Liberal Government adopted Bill 115 on time for the October 2010 Supreme court deadline. Bill 115 allows Allophones & Francophones to attend English public schools after studying 3 consecutive years in private non-funded English schools. Four public servants from Quebec Education Ministry (MELS) use a point system to determine if pupil was engaged in « legitimate educational pathway » Bill 115 makes it almost impossible for an Allophone or Francophone « non rights holder » pupils to attend English schools. Liberal Minister of Education Michèle Courchesne stated on June 3rd 2010 « I won’t deny that the objective is to have as few as possible (approved) » 2010 to 2015: only 424 approved for English school; Le Devoir 5 jan,

2013: Parti Québécois Government proposed Bill 14 to further reduce access to English schools

2. Language laws eroding access to English schools in Quebec In 2012, Minister Diane de Courcy of the Parti Québécois Government proposed Bill 14 to bolster Bill 101 by further reducing access to English schools Under Bill 14, Anglophone rights holders pupils who attended most of their primary & secondary school in French would lose the right to send their own progeny to English schools. Such Anglophone having attended French schooling would lose their ‘rights holders’ status and be forced to send their own children to French schools Bill 14 also excluded Francophones and Allophones from attending English Language CEGEPS. Only Anglophone ‘rights holders’ would have access to English CEGEPS 18

2012: Parti Québécois government proposed Bill 14 to further reduce access to English schools & CEGEPS Quebec Anglophones demonstrate against Bill 14, 2013

2. Bill 14 had goal of further eroding English School System in Quebec Quebec Anglophones were against Bill 14. Negative Consequences of Bill 14 for Quebec Anglophones : fewer pupils in English primary, secondary school system : fewer jobs for Anglophone teachers fewer jobs for Anglophone principals & support staff fewer jobs for Anglophone school board administrators Decline of the English language CEGEP system Minority PQ Government could not adopt Bill 14 in 2013 as Liberals and CAQ did not support Bill 14. With defeat of PQ Government in April 2014 election, Bill 14 could not be adopted. Defeated PQ Premier Marois most regretted NOT having adopted Bill 14 on her watch. 20

2. Language laws eroding access to English schools in Quebec In 2013, the PQ government used the CAQ platform to propose the abolition of both French and English School boards to reduce Quebec Government debt By abolishing school boards the PQ Government could kill two birds with one stone: 1. Eliminate one of few institutions still in control of English speaking communities (ESCQ) across Quebec: English school boards 2. Win Québécois francophone voters from CAQ* to gain PQ majority rule in 2014 election. PQ failed as they lost April 2014 elections *CAQ: coalition avenir Québec 21

2. Language laws eroding access to English schools in Quebec In 2014 the Liberal Government proposed to reduce the Education budget by forcing mergers of English school boards, and also French ones... English school board mergers would: 1. Reduce the number of elected Anglophones available on school boards to promote local needs of English schools & their pupils 2. Reduce the size of English school system and the institutional vitality of English school boards Could Liberal Government go as far as abolish French and English School boards ? … YES! 22

2. Language laws eroding access to English schools in Quebec Selon Julie Barlow dans l’Actualité du 15 novembre 2014 (p 42): « … Toute tentative d’abolir les commissions scolaires se heurtera au noyau dur de la communauté anglo-québécoise, dont les taux de participation aux élections scolaires s’élève à 17%. » « Si on les abolit, ça va être le tollé! » prévient David Daoust, président de l’Association des commissions scolaires anglophones du Québec. « Car la gouvernance scolaire est le dernier bastion politique de la communauté anglophone, qui y tient au même titre et pour les même raisons que les francophones minoritaires des autres provinces. » Selon David Daoust, « les anglophones contesteront l’abolition des commissions scolaires sur la base de l’article 23 de la Charte des droits et libertés, qui garantit à la minorité le droit de faire instruire ses enfants en anglais. » « C’est l’arguments qu’ont fait valoir les francophones du Nouveau Brunswick après l’abolition des commissions scolaires, en Et ils ont eu gain de cause » 23

2. Language laws eroding access to English schools in Quebec In November 2015, 17.2% of elligible Anglophones voted on English School board elections, while voting rate for French School board elections was only 4.8%. Anglophones want school board elections at same time as Municipal Elections to bolster voter turnout, while also favouring voting. « Depuis 1998, des associations anglophones implorent les ministres de l’Éducation de changer la réglementation qui stipule que tout les Anglophones du Québec sont inscrit automatiquement dans les listes scolaires francophones. L’exception étant les parents anglophones dont les enfants sont présentement inscrits dans les écoles des commissions scolaires anglophones » (Bourhis, La Presse, p. A15, 9 novembre 2015) Jennings Report (2015) advocated that all Anglophone rights holders must have the right to be automatically included as voters on English School Board elections, regardless of whether or not they have children. 24

2. Community vitality and Language laws in Quebec Québécois Francophones invoke threat to French language from the presence of the English language in Quebec and North America. Québécois Francophones invoke this threat to French language as ideological justification to erode the institutional vitality of the English speaking minorities of Quebec Quebec Government laws to reduce access to English schools illustrates how the Francophone majority at the Provincial level can use its minority status at the Canadian level, to justify undermining the minority English school system in Quebec 25

2. Community vitality and Language laws in Quebec December 4, 2015: Bill 86 Liberal Education Minister Blais proposed Bill 86 which abolishes School Board elections to be replaced by nomination procedures for School Councils with greater parent representation but more control by Minister of Education of both French & English school systems Stakeholders in the English school system oppose Bill 86 as it undermines their governance of the last institution they fully control in Quebec society 26

D Cumulative effect of Quebec Government laws eroding access to English Schools : Part 3. Decline of the English School System in Quebec 27

Number & % of students in pre-school, primary & secondary school systems in Quebec by French & English school systems (public & private): (Ministère de l’Éducation: MELS/MESSR, 2013) Indicateur linguistiques: secteur de l’éducation, Édition 2013 ) (Bourhis, 2014) French1,378,7881,026,9511,035,358997,358888,906 English256,251155,585111,391121,225105,205 %

Percentage of students in pre-school, primary and secondary schools by French & English language of schooling (public & private) on Island of Montreal: (Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport, MELS/MEESR, 2013) (Bourhis, 2014) French271,753177,704172,762181,713178,600 English154,33890,89861,95563,81252,609 %

3.Decline of the English language School System in Quebec 1. Both French and English schools systems declined from 1971 to Drop in fertility rate & low immigration to Quebec help account for school enrollment decline in Province. 3. Bill 63, Bill 22 & Bill 101 contributed to steeper enrollment decline in English school system 4. Departure of Anglophones from Quebec to Rest of Canada (ROC) also account for decline of English school system 5. From 100% baseline of 256,000 pupils in English schools in 1971 there are only 105,205 pupils left in the system by 2012 : or only 41% of original baseline (i.e. 59% drop). This is l argest drop in an English medium school system in Canada Further enrollment decline in 2014: 83,424 pupils in English school system (MEESR:2014 ) 30

Number & % of students in English pre-school, primary and secondary schools in Quebec by mother tongue: 1971 to (Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport, MELS/MEESR, 2013) (Bourhis, 2015) French28,70013,83910,36119,50520,451 English171,175101,69579,00476,81863,946 Allophones56,37637,26419,50822,19918,853 PS: Mother Tongue (MT): First language learned at home as a child and still understood at census time %

Number & % of students in English pre-school, primary and secondary schools on Island of Montreal by mother tongue: 1971 to 2012 (Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport, MELS/MEESR, 2013) (Bourhis, 2014) French12,1804,8112,8144,0873,563 English92,91154,69143,16142,07934,888 Allophones48,61731,17215,90817,57213,890 PS: Mother Tongue (MT): First language learned at home as a child and still understood at census time %

3. Decline of the English language School System in Quebec 1.In Province, the number and % of Allophones in English school system dropped from 85.4% in 1971 (56,376) to only 13.7% in 2012 (18,853). Bill 101 succeeded in limiting Allophone access to English school system. 2. The few Allophones & Francophones pupils in English school system are mostly due to progeny of mixed marriages with Anglophone spouses whose children become rights holders’ to English schools ( Canadian constitution, article 23) 3.Anglophone pupils in English school system dropped in absolute and % term from 90.5% in 1971 (171,175) to only 74.5% in 2012 (63,946). Where are the missing Anglophone pupils? 33

Number & % of students in French pre-school, primary and secondary schools in Quebec by mother tongue: (Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport, MELS/MEESR, 2013) (Bourhis, 2014) French1,351,212975,897951,220893,105742,669 English17,92418,70816,41417,58521,835 Allophone9,65228,59562,99581,831119,060 %

Number & % of students in French pre-school, primary and secondary schools on Island of Montreal by mother tongue: (Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport, MELS/MEESR, 2013) (Bourhis, 2014) French256,535146,632117,233109,71287,458 English9,78310,0518,1539,38412,141 Allophones5,43520,92947,32362,55678,909 %

3. Decline of the English language School System in Quebec 1. Decline in number of French pupils in French School system due mostly to fertility decline in Quebec. But % of Francophone pupils in French school system is stable: 97.9% in 1971 and 97.3% in Bill 101 succeeded in keeping most Francophone pupils within French school system 2. Allophones in French school system increased in absolute and % term: from only 14.6% Allophones in 1971 at 9,652 pupils to 81.5% Allophones in 2012 at 119,060 pupils ! 3. Bill 101 succeeded in shifting Allophones from English to French school system. But Allophone input does not offset impact of Francophone student decline of 608,543 pupils from 1971 to 2012 due mainly to low fertility. 36

3. Decline of the English language School System in Quebec 4. Anglophones in French school system increases in absolute and % term. Anglophones in French school system increases from 9.5% in 1971 to 25.5% in Many Anglophone parents choose to send their children to French school system to improve their mastery of French despite French immersion in 80% of English school system. 6. This shift undermines the institutional vitality of the English school system. 7. With proposed Bill 86 abolition of elected English School boards, will Anglophone minority loses another key domain of institutional control in Quebec? 37

3 3. Dr Victor Goldbloom about the decline of the English school system in Quebec 38 « Quebec’s English-speaking communities have been prevented from reinforcing their numbers by the channeling of students from elsewhere to the French-Language school system. Efforts to obtain more equitable balance have had virtually no success. A small shift would have helped the Anglophone side considerably while making a very small dent in Francophone enrolments. The painful closing of schools has become inevitable » Dr Victor Goldbloom. In: R.Y. Bourhis (2012). « Decline and prospects of the English-speaking Communities of Quebec. Canadian Heritage. pp 381

4. What Can be Done about the decline of the English school system in Quebec ? Many Anglophone parents choose to send their children to French schools to improve their mastery of French In 1971: 17,924 Anglo pupils (9.5%) in French schools In 2012: 21,835 Anglo pupils (25.5%) in French schools 1. This trend reflects willingness of English speaking parent right holders to integrate their progeny in Québécois society hoping own children will stay in Quebec with satisfying job prospects. 2. This steady shift of Anglophone pupils to French schools also reflects concern for potential private individual gain at real cost of collective institutional vitality suffered by English school system 39

4. What can be done about the decline of the English school system in Quebec ? WHY Anglophone shift to French schools despite available French immersion in 80% of English school system ? 1.Parents feel French schools provide not just bilingual language proficiency in French for their children but also: Sociolinguistic skills in French: Québécois accent, style, words & expressions. Bi-Cultural skills in Québécois francophone majority culture in addition to own Anglophone and Allophone cultures 40

4. What can be done about the decline of the English school system in Quebec ? WHY Anglophone shift to French schools despite available French immersion in 80% of English school system ? 2. Parents feel that if own children learn Québécois French and culture they will have better chances of staying in Quebec with good job & career rather than migrate to ROC 3. But studies shows that all being equal, Anglophones and Allophones are less likely to get jobs & promotions in Quebec government & private firms than Québécois francophones. Anglophone & Allophone bilinguals also have lower wages than unilingual Québécois francophone ( Vaillancourt, Lemay & Vaillancourt, 2007, Laggards no more. No 103, C.D. Howe Institute.) 41

42 Income differential of male unilingual and bilingual Anglophones and Allophones relative to unilingual Francophones baseline in Québec: 1971 vs 2001 (Vaillancourt, Lemay, & Vaillancourt, 2007; p.5 Table 3) Unilingual Anglophone Bilingual Anglophone Allophone + English Allophone + French Bilingual Francophone Controlling for level of education, years of experience in Quebec. Horizontal line is French unilingual salary LEGEND: Allophones: French/English bilinguals

4. What can be done about the decline of the English school system in Quebec ? Quebec Anglophones must seek to reclaim English ‘right holders’ currently in French schools back to English schools Need power of attraction measures to maintain ALL English right holders in English schools English teachers, School Board Administrators and parents must BRAG about the success of English Schools in Quebec! English school boards are often BEST: 6 of top 10 performing School boards in Quebec are English (2013) English schools have lower drop out rates than French schools Provincial exam scores in French show that English school pupils score 9.4% better than French school pupils ! 43

Quebec graduation rate of high school students (before age 20 ) is higher in English School Boards (9 School Commissions) than in French School Boards (60 School Commissions) MELS, 2013

Quebec Education Ministry Standardized High School Final test scores in French language and in Mathematics for : 2 largest French School boards in Montreal (Commission Scolaire: de Montreal; Marguerite–Bourgeoys) have lower scores than two largest English School boards in Montreal (Lester B. Pearson; English Montreal). MELS, 2013

4. What can be done about the decline of the English school system in Quebec YES students in English School boards achieve BETTER test scores in FRENCH than do students in French School boards. Shows that English school boards do contribute to Knowledge and Quality of French in Quebec! 1.Continue making English schools more fun, dynamic and efficient than French schools. Keep Anglophone pupils and recruit Francophone & Allophone right holders to English schools through power of attraction of fun & excellence! 2.Develop yet more innovative French Immersion programs that teach strong proficiency in French while ALSO teaching sociolinguistic & cultural skills in Québécois French 3.English schools could teach its students about history of vital role of English speaking communities within Quebec society not just that of Québécois French. 4.Teach the right of English speaking communities to stay and thrive in Quebec as legitimate historical minority since 18th century 46

4.What can be done about the decline of the English school system in Quebec ? Could Quebec Governments help the English school system thrive rather than seek its demise via laws that reduce access to primary & secondary schools and reduce institutional support of English schools? Increasing access to English schools is a key measure needed to limit the continuing decline of the excellent English school system in Quebec ! Jennings (2015) report proposes following students to enter English school system: 1. English speakers from other provinces of Canada 2. English speaking immigrants from countries where English is an official, national or majority language (US, UK, India) The English school system needs more pupils from Canada and abroad to survive as a dynamic contributor to Quebec society economically and culturally. The English school system produces pupils that score better on Quebec French exams than pupils in the French school system ! So why see the development of the English school system as a threat to the French majority in Quebec? 47

Concluding notes The goal of Bill 101 was to improve the status of French relative to English in Québec while respecting minorities Loi 101, 1977: Préambule: « Langue distinctive d’un peuple majoritairement francophone, la langue française permet au peuple québécois d’exprimer son identité … L’assemblée nationale entend poursuivre cet objectif dans un esprit de justice et d’ouverture, dans le respect des institutions de la communauté québécoise d’expression anglaise (1984, G. Godin, PQ) et celui des minorités ethniques, dont elle reconnait l’apport précieux au développement du Québec. » Quebec laws reducing access to English schools do not respect the Institutions of English speaking communities as promised in Bill

Concluding notes « Leaders of ‘besieged communities’ such as the Anglophones of Quebec have an interest in developing organizations and leadership styles that promote coherent and consistent approaches to the defence and development of their institutional vitality. This is especially important in settings where the newly dominant Québécois majority controls all the tools of the state but whose current leaders & elites remain imbued with the psychology of a threatened linguistic minority in North America » Bourhis (2012) Decline and prospects of the English-Speaking Communities of Quebec. Ottawa: Canadian Heritage & ICRLM, CEETUM. http// 49

MERCI THANK YOU GRACIAS להודות DANK U GRAZIE شُكُور شُكُور

Bibliography Bourhis, R.Y. (2012) Déclin et enjeux des communautés de langue anglaise au Québec. Ottawa: Patrimoine canadien. CIRLM, CEETUM. Bourhis, R.Y. & Landry, R. (2012). Vitalité communautaire, autonomie culturelle et bien être des minorités linguistique. Dans R.Y. Bourhis (dir.) Déclin et enjeux des communautés de langue anglaise au Québec. (pp ). Ottawa: Patrimoine canadien. CIRLM, CEETUM. Giles, H., Bourhis, R.Y. & Taylor, D.M. (1977). Towards a theory of language in ethnic group relations. Dans H.Giles (dir.) Language Ethnicity and Intergroup Relations. (p ).London, Academic Press. Jennings, M. (2015) Report: English school boards election system study panel. Montreal. Quebec English School Board Association (QESBA). Mallea, J. (1984). Minority language education in Quebec and Anglophone Canada. In R.Y. Bourhis (Ed.) Conflict and Language Planning in Quebec. (pp ). Bristol, England. Multilingual Matters. Vaillancourt,, F., Lemay, D., Vaillancourt, L. (2007). Laggards No More: The changed socioeconomic Status of Francophones in Quebec. Toronto. C.D. Howe Institute Backgrounder

52 1.Connaissance du français et de l’anglais au sein de la population du Québec. Recensements du Canada: Année du recensement % %

53 1.Langue la plus souvent utilisée à la maison au Québec au moment du recensement Recensements du Canada: Français Anglais Autres langues % % Année du recensement