Bill 96: Quebec legislators slam English-speaking kids' French fluency, blame school system
CTV
Quebec kids were at the heart of a heated exchange Thursday over language laws -- specifically, English-speaking kids and whether they're really leaving school with functional French.
"English schools are capable of preparing students to live in French, to integrate into French-speaking society," argued Russell Copeman, director of Quebec's English school board association (QESBA) as he testified about proposed language law Bill 96.
That's not what the head of the province's association of colleges says, fired back Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette.
"The government of Quebec recognizes that those students who get a diploma from secondary school in Quebec have a good knowledge of French," he said.
His three children, who went through school at the English Montreal School Board (EMSB), have "not flawless," but still excellent French, he said.