Quebec's New Language Bill Would Cap Spots At English CEGEPs

The province also wants to limit yearly enrollment increases.
Quebec's New Language Bill Would Cap Spots At English CEGEPs
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Quebec's new bill to reform French-language laws — aka Bill 96 — would place a cap on the number of students who can receive English-language education in the province's public CEGEPs.

If the bill passes, just 17.5% of all CEGEP students would be allowed to attend English CEGEPs each school year. 

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The bill would also limit yearly enrollment increases to 8.7%. That means that if the total CEGEP enrolment in Quebec increases by 5,000 students from one year to the next, Quebec will only permit 435 of those students to enrol in English-language schools. 

In French-language CEGEPs that offer English-language instruction, there would be a cap of 2% of students who can study in English at French-language institutions.

For example, if there were a total of 175,000 CEGEP students at French-language CEGEPs in Quebec, 3,500 of them would be able to take English courses. 

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  • Lea Sabbah
  • Lea Sabbah
    Lea Sabbah was a Staff Writer for MTL Blog. Previously, Lea was a radio host on CJLO 1690 AM and her work has been published by Global News, the Toronto Star, Le Devoir and the National Observer. In 2019, she was part of the investigative team that uncovered lead in Montreal's drinking water — a story which won Quebec's Grand Prix Judith-Jasmin. She's a graduate of the journalism program at Concordia University.

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