Marlene Jennings: Assist French universities; don't damage English ones

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Over the previous days and weeks, a lot has been written about Quebec’s plan to impose main modifications to college tuition charges for out-of-province college students.

At present, college students from the remainder of Canada at Quebec universities pay annual tuition charges of just below $9,000. These charges apply no matter whether or not these college students attend a French or English establishment. Nevertheless, nearly all of ROC college students are enrolled at McGill, Concordia or Bishop’s — that’s, English universities. As of subsequent fall, their tuition will leap to a minimum of $17,000 underneath the brand new few construction. 

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Premier François Legault and his ministers, Jean-François Roberge (French language) and Pascale Déry (greater training) declare the objectives of this unprecedented hike is to protect the French language, tackle the underfunding of French universities and cease the anglicization of Montreal. 

For my part, no fair-minded individual may or would object to the primary and second objectives. I for one assist any and all insurance policies that can really defend and promote French, the official and customary language of my belle province. Which is why I staunchly oppose Invoice 96 because it does nothing for the French language whereas eroding the rights of English-speakers. However that’s for an additional column.

Given the overwhelming unfavourable response to this new coverage from the tutorial, scholar and enterprise sectors, one would anticipate the Coalition Avenir Québec authorities to pause and maybe rethink its plan. However let’s get actual: Legault has proven he doesn’t just like the back-step when he’s dancing; his most popular fashion is ahead, ahead, flip, flip, flip.

The CAQ has produced no research to point out that doubling tuition charges for this class of scholars can be efficient in selling and defending French. And to me, no information or research equals sizzling air. Which received me considering: Are there different ways in which would possibly do the trick, a minimum of partially?

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Right here’s one thought: Maintain the annual tuition charges as they’re (or adjusted for cost-of-living will increase) however present a rebate to ROC college students who select to attend one in every of our French universities. The rebate could possibly be 25 per cent, for instance, and carried out on the finish of every tutorial yr primarily based upon the variety of credit the coed achieved in mentioned yr.

Provided that present tuition charges in Quebec for ROC college students is just about in step with what these college students would pay to check in their very own province or in one other, a coverage of rebating a part of tuition charges for these ROC college students enrolled in our French universities would possibly entice extra college students to make that selection. 

It’s nicely established that the demand for French-immersion education exterior Quebec is flourishing (and but, woefully brief for locations). These college students could possibly be a possible pool of ROC college students right here.

Think about: 1000’s of graduates of French-immersion highschool applications being instructed that in the event that they proceed their post-secondary training at a French college in Quebec, they might be eligible for a considerable rebate.

It is likely to be that they might initially pay tuition charges just like anyplace else in Canada, together with in Quebec, however 25 per cent (or extra) can be reimbursed on the finish of every tutorial yr, topic to enrolment in a French college for the following tutorial yr. 

Underneath such a plan, English universities in Quebec wouldn’t be penalized, and  French universities would turn into far more engaging post-secondary studying choices for out-of-province college students.

What do you suppose?

Marlene Jennings is a former president of the Quebec Group Teams Community and a former Liberal MP. She sits on the boards of a number of neighborhood organizations.

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