A majority of Quebecers, even among francophones, now favour relaxing Bill 101 in order to make it easier to access English language schools at the elementary and secondary levels.
Sixty per cent of Quebecers say such a move would "allow easier access to English education" and greater job oportunities later in life, according to a Léger poll for Le Devoir.
More surprisingly, the idea of creating a kind of loophole in Quebec's French Language Charter has the support of 53% of francophone respondents. The survey was conducted online between July 10 and 13, 2017 with 1006 people. The poll has a margin of error of 3.1%, 19 times out of 20.
There has been a rise of francophones in the hierarchy of jobs, but managerial and professional positions require a certain command of English, particularly in international markets.
The poll comes out exactly forty years after Bill 101 came into force and suggests it's time to revisit the "taboo" around English proficiency being harmful to the protection of French.
A good law
47% of respondents to the Léger poll (and 57% of Francophones) want to see "Bill 101 strengthened," a sign of Quebecers' attachment to the French language. About 50% of respondents are also in favor of strengthening the provisions on commercial signage and language of work.
The easing of Bill 101 to facilitate elementary or secondary education in English - desired by respondents to the survey - would be significant and would lead the majority of allophones to turn to English education
For the past 40 years, Bill 101 has required francophones and newcomers to learn French in elementary and high school. This measure, which remains controversial to this day, is considered one of the cornerstones of the French Language Charter.
Beginning in CEGEP, there is no longer any restriction on the language of studies. Quebecers are comfortable with this rule: over six in ten respondents (63%) to the Léger poll oppose a tightening of Bill 101 to reserve access to English-language CEGEPs to students who have attended school secondary level in English.