Extend Que. Bill 101 to CEGEPs: PQ

Parti Qubecois leader Pauline Marois says she remains committed to extending Quebec's Bill 101 to CEGEPs.

Under the province's language laws, new immigrants to Quebec are required to attend French elementary and secondary schools. However, they're free to go to either an English or French junior college.

But last week, the PQ's language critic Pierre Curzi came out with a report in support of extending the laws to cover CEGEPs and, over the weekend, the PQ held a symposium revisiting Bill 101.

At a separate event in Montreal Sunday, Marois said the only way to get into English CEGEPs should be by having at least one parent who was educated in English in Canada.

She said that would help immigrants integrate into francophone society.

"An important number of the new members of the new communities are going to the CEGEPS in English, and after that they are integrating to the English communities," said Marois.

Geoffrey Kelley, theLiberal MNA for the riding of Jacques-Cartier in Montreal'sWest Island,said he doesn't buy Marois's argument.

"The biggest victims, if you were to put into place the PQ policy, would be francophones who have finished high school and would like to go to a Dawson College, or a John Abbott College, or a Champlain, or a Vanier," said Kelley.

Kelley said adults should be able to choose to be educated in whatever language they want.

The expansion of the law to cover CEGEPs isn't offical PQ policy yet, butthe proposal is expected to come up for debate at a party policy convention in April.

In 2009, former Quebec premier Bernard Landry lent his support to Quebec nationalist groups which called for the same change to Quebec's language laws.