The Legault government is making the French language a priority. He passed Bill 96, An Act respecting the official and common language of Quebec, French. This law provides in particular that public bodies must maintain, “at the end of a six-month period, communications exclusively in French with immigrants” (section 22.4). The same law establishes Francisation Québec, a new organization that “leads and manages government action in matters of francization of persons domiciled in Québec” (section 156.24). This effort to protect French is necessary, said the Prime Minister, proclaiming that it is “the survival of the nation”.
With so much firmness in the Act, so much emphasis in the discourse, we would obviously expect the government to make experts in the francization of immigrants first-rate partners. Yet no! In an absolute inconsistency, the government seeks rather to impoverish the teachers in francization.
There are 560 francization teachers employed by the Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration (MIFI). They are found in several regions, in various institutional or community organizations recognized as government agents in the reception and francization of immigrants. Less than 15% of these professors have tenure. The others have often suffered job insecurity for many years, and anxiously await contract offers every eleven weeks.
The employment contract for state francization teachers expired in 2019. Negotiations to renew it have led to progress in certain aspects of the work. We recognize it. But on the salary level, we are faced with a wall. The government’s latest salary proposal would make francization teachers the lowest paid state teachers. The shortfall would be very significant, approximately $3,000 at the end of the agreement for professors with the most years of service, compared to professors in the college network who have always been our benchmark. This, while the load increases, that recruitment is likely to be lacking and that they are, like all of us, faced with galloping inflation.
Francization teachers are passionate about their work, which goes well beyond the strict teaching of our common language. These professors are very often the first contact newcomers have with Quebec; they are guides in the discovery of our society, in the understanding of its customs and its values. They are agents of integration who give newcomers the words and also the codes to become adopted Quebecers and to register in their own way in the march of our society.
How can a single government give such importance to French in public and thus discredit behind the scenes those who have the task of teaching it to immigrants? Francization teachers are a special group within the state. Integrated into the public service, they are on the MIFI payroll, provide a service prescribed by the minister responsible for the Charter of the French language, and the content of their courses is in no way determined by the Ministry of Education. . But the maze of the state is no excuse for ignoring their specificity and their expertise. If the government is serious about giving priority to the French language, let it spread the word and ensure that those who sow French, and a bit of Quebec, in the hearts new arrivals.
Jean Vallieres, President of the Union of State Teachers of Quebec
Reference-www.tvanouvelles.ca