By Ruby Pratka

Local Journalism Initiative

Adult literacy advocates in Brome-Missisquoi held a protest outside the office of Brome-Missisquoi MNA Isabelle Charest on Nov. 25, drawing attention to the impact of cuts to subsidized French-language courses across the region.

As the BCN reported earlier this fall, subsidized courses offered by the Eastern Townships School Board at the Campus Brome-Missisquoi adult education centre and by the Val-des-Cerfs, Des Sommets and Région-de-Sherbrooke school service centres elsewhere in the region were cut due to a mismatch between skyrocketing demand and limited funding offered by the Ministry of Education and Higher Learning (MEES), based on far lower demand from previous years.

As a result, hundreds of students across the region and the province found themselves out of class on Nov. 26. Many have been placed on waiting lists for other language-learning programs offered by the Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration (MIFI), although it may be months before they set foot in a classroom.

The MRC Brome-Missisquoi mayors’ council signed a memorandum protesting the service cuts and the MRC agreed to publicize the Nov. 25 protest.

As of Nov. 26, there will be no in-person francisation courses offered anywhere in Brome-Missisquoi, said Tania Szymanski, community development and immigration co-ordinator at the MRC. “There are classes offered in Granby, but that presents a major transport issue. There are at least 50 people in our region who have lost access to classes, and five teachers losing their jobs. It’s important for people to have access to French language courses because it is our primary language in Quebec.” She noted that over the past four to five years, an influx of asylum seekers and temporary foreign workers into Brome-Missisquoi has made access to language classes particularly important.

She pointed out that in addition to struggling to find work and integrate socially, non-French-speaking immigrants may run into difficulty accessing government services. “The law now requires that immigrants no longer have access to services in languages other than French after six months.”

Szymanski said MRC representatives met with community organizations to see what could be done to help, but “it’s very hard without additional funding.” She said local organizations such as Cowansville-based literacy nonprofit Le Sac à mots were setting up volunteer language twinning programs, but despite their best efforts, a twinning program is “very minimal” compared to full-time classes.

The MRC is calling on the MEES to reverse the cuts to in-person courses, allow students who started courses this year to finish, prioritize current students on MIFI waiting lists and fund stopgap services to maintain local course offerings. “Francisation is the key to successful integration and a more inclusive community. These people have a great desire to integrate into Quebec society and contribute to it. We must give them the means to do that,” prefect Patrick Melchior said in a statement.

The BCN was unable to speak to Le Sac à Mots, the MEES or the MIFI before publication on Monday.