Language laws in Quebec have limited access to an education in English since the late 1970's. The intent of the Bill 101 and other laws regarding the official language of Quebec was to preserve the French language and to encourage both anglophones and allophones to learn to speak it. I won't get into the constitutionality or efficacy of the law here. That is a subject for another time, and perhaps another forum.
While we have plenty of schools that deliver an education in the English language here in Quebec, access to these schools is restricted to students who possess a certificate declaring their eligibility to be educated in English. That eligibility is based on a legacy of speaking and studying in English, and living within Quebec or some other part of Canada.
If you are new to Quebec and you are coming from outside of Canada, in all likelihood you are not eligible to send your kids to school in English. If your family has lived in Quebec for generations, but no one has ever been educated in English, chances are you will have to send them to school in French. There are some exceptions, but basically it's not easy to get that little paper for your kids unless you were educated in English somewhere in Canada.
Homeschooling in English - No Certificate Required!
It is important to note that the language law applies to public institutions, and as such it does not apply to homeschooling. If you are a homeschooler moving into Quebec, or if you are withdrawing your child from a French school, you may have been told that you are not permitted to educate your child at home in English. Rest assured, this is simply not true. You may educate your child at home in the language or languages of your choice.
Here is the official ministry of education statement on language of instruction for home-based education, from
Home Schooling - Policy Framework:
[C]hildren who are ineligible for instruction in English under the Charter of the French language may receive home schooling in English, as these provisions do not apply to them. Consequently, parents may ask the English school board for their area to exempt their child from compulsory school attendance and to assess their child’s learning for the purpose of certification.
Folks who may benefit from this option:
* Anglophones and allophones entering Quebec from outside Canada, who would ordinarily have to send their kids to French school, and who are concerned their children will not be able to keep up with their classmates;
* Francophones without eligibility certificates, who would like their children to benefit from earlier exposure to English instruction or from a bilingual or English immersion format that is not available through their local public French-language school;
* Anyone without eligibility, whose child seems to struggle a great deal with the French language, but who has no specific diagnosis of learning difficulty or other disability that may grant him eligibility.
Precautions When Homeschooling in English in Quebec
If you choose this option, do keep in mind that if you ever need to return your kids to public school they will have to attend a French school. Just as attending an unsubsidized private school is no longer counted when establishing a history of education in English, home-based education is not counted either. Parents should keep in mind that some French instruction must be provided to meet the requirements of an "equivalent" education. Students who have always been homeschooled, and never received a certificate of eligibility, will also not have the legacy of instruction in English to pass onto their own children.
Parents whose children would normally qualify for a certificate of eligibility may want to ask their school board about obtaining the document in the earlier years of homeschooling. Having the certificate in hand preserves the right to an English language education for future generations, and protects children against being refused at an English school should they need to enter one in the secondary years.
