The tactic of political diversion of our schools

By Jean-Marc Fournier, October 17th, 2012

The PQ’s demons are now haunting our schools. We were stunned to learn of PQ education minister Marie Malavoy's intention to politicize our children’s education and slow the pace of learning English in our elementary schools.  Her statement that "My party is very critical of the idea of introducing a foreign language at the same time as the grammar, syntax and vocabulary of the mother language are being learned," is totally unacceptable.
Once again, we are witnessing the PQ’s intolerance toward English-speaking Quebecers. The PQ views English-speaking Quebecers as foreigners even though they are full-fledged Quebecers. This is yet another application of the Parti Québécois’ divide-and-rule policy.
For 400 years, as French speakers in North America, we have been doing what it takes to protect our language. In the current context of market globalization, we most certainly should not be looking for ways to prevent our children from learning English. We should be looking for ways to help them learn several languages.
By allowing our children to learn English in elementary school, we are providing them with tools for their future. We find it appalling to see the PQ government putting up roadblocks in front of Québec’s youth. What is even more appalling is the fact that this government wants to prevent adult Quebecers from getting their college education in English.
The Parti Québécois’ ideological radicalism seems to know no bounds. In addition to restricting English, Ms. Malavoy wants to  impose more sovereignty in our history courses. She stated,"We have muddled the issue of sovereignty. God knows that the national debate in Québec has marked our recent history and it must be looked at in-depth and not through a series of themes which are not necessarily as important and are less connected to our own identity."
This effort to promote the separatist political  creed in our schools is beyond the pale. Our schools must never be used for ideological indoctrination through political education. We are seeing nothing less than the return of Gérald Larose’s sovereignty catechism. By doing so, the Minister of Education is abdicating her responsibilities for the benefit of her party's most radical wing and we will not allow her to do it. Pauline Marois is projecting an image of an inclusive Québec in Congo, while her Minister of Education is enforcing division and discord in Québec. Mme. Marois must immediately rein in her minister and let Quebecers know that she will not use Quebec’s schools to lure our youth into the lobster trap of sovereignty.
Jean-Marc Fournier is the leader of the official opposition in the National Assembly, interim leader of the Liberal Party of Quebec, MNA for St. Laurent and former Quebec Justice Minister.