Parti Qubcois wants to overhaul funding for English CEGEPs, but not extend Bill 101

The Parti Qubcoiswantsto curb the abundance of francophone students choosing to study in English by overhauling thewayEnglish-language CEGEPS are funded.

The measure, which was adopted on Sunday at the party's annual policy convention, representsan effort to bolster the French language, but is asofter approach thatfalls short of extending Bill 101 to CEGEPs an idea that many hardlinedelegates support.

Ultimately, the party adopted what Lise is framing as a compromise.

Give students a choice when it comes to choosing whether to attend an English orFrench CEGEP, but make funding for English junior colleges proportional to the size of Quebec's English-speaking population.

"I wanted there to be no doubt thatwithin the Parti Qubcois, asserting the French language doesn't mean excluding others," said Lise, after his speech wrapped up the convention Sunday.

• 'United' after Lise's leadership test, Parti Qubcois sets sights on upcoming election

Bill 101 specifies that the only students permitted to enrol in English-languageelementary and high schools are those with at least one parent who was educated in English in Quebec or elsewhere in Canada.

Provincial government statistics show that the percentage of CEGEP students coming from theFrench system and enrolling in English junior colleges doubled from five per cent in 1993 to 10 per cent in 2015.

Raising the bar for immigrants, anglophones

However, Lisesaid he supports the proposal that all students in English-language CEGEPs be forced to pass a French exam before they can graduate, saying they need it to succeed in Quebec.

He also called for tougher immigration laws, adding that immigrantsmust be fluent in the province's official language before moving to Quebec.

"Theyhave to learn French before coming here," Lise said.

In the event that his party iselected to power, he said he will also push forbetter English second-languageclasses offered in French-language elementary and high schools.

Party members also endorsed the idea of implementing an enriched English course for francophone students they could do on an exchange withan English CEGEP for a semester.

"May the best network win. And so as there was an increase in the Anglo CEGEPs in the past few years, we hope there is an increase in the French CEGEPs," Lise said.

In order to boost public-sector schools in Quebec, members also threw their support behind gradually reducing fundingfor private schools across the province.

• 'English is the key': Controversy in Quebec as morefrancophoneschoose EnglishCEGEPs

Religious neutrality comes up again

Party members also adopted a resolution concerning secularismin the public sector in another measure that also appears to be a softer approach toprevious stances taken by the PQ.

The platformoutlines that civil servants should refrain from showcasing their religious convictions at work, but that most of them would bepermitted to wear religious garb under a PQ government.

• Crucifix restored to wall of Quebec City hospital after thousands object to its removal

Agns Maltais, the PQ critic on secularism,specified in a news conferencethat the party's position on religious accommodation means only civil servants in a position of authority police officers, judges, prison guards, teachers and daycare educators would be banned from wearing religious garb while on the job.

Unlike the failed Charter of Values introduced by the PQ in 2013,other civil servants in the public sector would still be permitted to wear religious symbols at work.

"It's written in black and white in the program," said Maltais.