The problem of Quebec

Quebec is Canada’s largest province in area and second in population (after Ontario). Quebec remained a French colony until the British took control of it in 1763. Today, the population of Quebec is about 7 million people. Most of the population is of French origin: more than five million people, 350,000 of British origin. 4/5 of French Canadians live in Quebec province. Many of them regard Quebec as the centre of their society and culture, and their effort to preserve it has led to a movement of French Canadian nationalism. Quebec has sometimes considered whether it should separate from the rest of Canada and become a nation by itself. Some people in Canada do not like some of the things the government has allowed Quebec to do in order to keep it as a part of Canada, for example, making French the official language of business and education in Quebec.

Surrounded by an English-speaking society and living in an economy dominated by an English-speaking elite, the Quebecois (French-speaking residents of Quebec) made a concerted effort beginning in 1960 to increase their control of Quebec affairs. Some nationalists support a separatist movement that seeks independence for the province; others offer a more moderate alternative, keeping Quebec in Canada but giving it more powers than the other provinces. The English-speaking minority in Quebec is opposed to its separation from Canada as well as most minorities. The other provinces also oppose it and are not much more sympathetic to the more moderate alternative. Both the Parti Quebecois (Партия Квебека), the party elected in 1993 to govern Quebec, and the Block Quebecois (Блок Квебека), the party elected the same year to represent it in Canada’s Parliament, are officially dedicated to separation.

Education System.

Since Education is a provincial responsibility in Canada (provincial legislatures make laws in education), the educational system varies from province to province.

It includes:

6 to 8 years of elementary school

4 to 5 years of secondary (high) school

3 to 4 yeas at the university undergraduate level

Education in Canada consists of 10 provincial and territorial systems, including:

free public and "separate" (denominational) schools

private schools

Children are required by law to attend school from the age of 6 to 7 until they are 15 or 16/ (schooling is compulsory for children between the ages of 6 and 16 with some variations)

Public schools are publicly funded, so public education through secondary (or high) school is free.

Most post secondary schools, however charge tuition fees, with the exception of Quebec, where general and vocational colleges (post-secondary schools by nature) are also publicly funded, they require only a minimal registration fee.

Responsibilities in Education

Unlike many other industrialized countries, Canada has no Federal educational system: for the Constitution vested the exclusive responsibility for education in the provinces.

Each provincial system is:on the one hand similar to the others, but on the other hand reflects its particular region, history and culture. There is the Department of education in each province. It is headed by an elected (not appointed) minister. The Department:sets educational standards,draws curriculums,gives grants to educational institutions.Responsibility for the administration of elementary 2 secondary schools is delegated to local school boards or commissions, which are elected. The boards: set budgets, hire teachers and negotiate with them, shapes school curriculums with provincial guideline.