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APPELE is a coalition of organizations who have come together to represent the rights of English-speaking communities in light of the proposed restructuring of English school-boards across Quebec under Bill 40, introduced by the CAQ. APPELE members are mobilizing on issues of inclusivity, representation and democratic process in relation to this proposed legislation.
APPELE representatives have been meeting with Minister Roberge on Bill 40 since the spring and some progress has been made. “Asymmetry” has been offered. That means that the government appears to be open to negotiating potential changes with the English linguistic minority of Quebec. Consultations will be held in Quebec City from November 4-14th, by invitation. Click here to see a list of all of the institutions, associations and organizations who have already signed up to submit briefs in order to highlight their concerns.
Bill 40 is complicated and not very well known in the community sector. APPELE has engaged a lawyer to study to what extent this proposed legislation counters our constitutional democratic rights as a linguistic minority in Quebec. What we know so far:
- Local school boards will be turned into regional service centers. This means less local voice & less local choice and more centralized power and control by the Ministry;
- Half of the service centers seats will apparently be made up of unpaid parents who are expected to pull double duty: volunteer on the governing board of a school AND volunteering on the regional service Center board (?!)
- The part of the law that states that school boards have a responsibility to ensure that there is spiritual and community programming in schools will be removed. This one is particularly alarming.
APPELE is digging deeper to see what this could mean. We are concerned that this could represent another way that the CAQ government is proposing to to save a few dollars and to move away from promoting a pluralistic society.
In addition, the proposed leadership of the service centers is of concern:
- The Director General of the service center becomes the spokesperson (not the elected service center President)
- The Chair and Vice Chair of the service center has to be a parent
If your organization works with English-speaking communities, parents, and / or the schools, and your mission relates to ensuring quality of life, health, and opportunities for all – you can support!
Please start by liking and SHARING the APPELE Facebook page. If you “follow” it, you’ll get alerts at the top of your news feed.
APPELE is working on potential community hearings and we want to hear from you. Please reach out to us through the contact tab on the home page if you’d like to get more involved, such as by presenting a 1-3 page brief.
On behalf of the APPELE chairs and co-chairs, thank you for your support.
appelequebec.org 