LETTER

 

Reply to “English schools, Brian Rock, and Quebec reality”

 

Firstly, the issues that the author encountered with the delivery of English education to their children  should have been raised with their elected Western Quebec School Board Commissioner.  Do they know that parents can address the Council of Commissioners at their regular monthly meetings at 7:00 p. m. on the last Tuesday evening of the month by informing the WQSB Secretary General?

Secondly, look up "Law 40: An Act to amend mainly the Education Act with regard to school organization and governance" on the website of the National Assembly of Quebec.  You will find that its application to the nine English-language School Boards has been stayed by two Quebec Justices supported by section 23 Minority language educational rights of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms of 1982.  You also need to be reminded that section 23 is exempt from the application of the Notwithstanding Clause of section 33 of said Canadian Charter.

And lastly, the Regional Association of West Quebecers (RAWQ) has recently announced the holding of three Regional Townhall Meetings in Shawville on Tuesday, August 2nd, in Aylmer on Wednesday, August 3rd, and in Wakefield on Thursday, August 4th.  Please call the RAWQ office and register free-of-charge for one or all of these Townhall Meetings so that you can be brought up to date on Bill 96   (public hearings in the National Assembly begin on Tuesday, September 21st) and Bill C-32 (public hearings in the House of Commons will be scheduled later in autumn depending on the calling of a federal general election).

Brian Rock, columnist

Aylmer