News briefs
Supreme Court strikes down language law
MONTREAL (CUP) – CANADA’S HIGHEST COURT has struck down a Quebec law that prevented immigrants from sending their children to provincially funded English schools after it determined the law violated the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Section 23 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees English and French speaking minorities the right to send their children to publicly funded schools that teach the same language in which they received their education. However, the charter right only applies to Canadian citizens whose schooling took place in Canada. The charter in Canada also mandates that children who began their education in one language, have the right to continue in that language.
Quebec law forbids students from attending English-language schools unless they fall into one of these categories. However, some parents found a loophole, sending their children to unfunded private schools for a short period of time and then transferring them into publicly supported schools.
Bill 104 was passed in 2002 to close loopholes in Quebec’s language laws and prevent the use of these so-called “bridging schools.”
Although the Supreme Court struck down the law, Quebec will be allowed to put limits on these schools in the new legislation.
—Jacob Serebrin, CUP Quebec Bureau Chief
International students contribute billions to Canadian economy
OTTAWA (CUP) – INTERNATIONAL TRADE MINISTER Stockwell Day released a report on Oct. 28 entitled “Economic Impact of International Education in Canada,” which revealed that international students pumped $6.5 billion into the economy while studying in Canada in 2008.
“We’ve always known that it’s a big number, but this is new—that they’ve quantified it in this government-commissioned report,” said Robert White, an international relations policy analyst for the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada.
The report also revealed that over 178,000 students arrived to study in Canada last year, with almost 50 per cent coming from East Asian countries, and the largest number of students heading to Ontario. According to the report, about 65,000 jobs were directly supported by the economic activity generated by international students, and an estimated $285 million was directed to the tourism industry.
White suggested that these findings are an excellent incentive for the government to focus on the international aspect of post-secondary education in Canada, but noted that economic effects are only part of the benefits of receiving international students in Canada.
“Having these international students, these minds, the best and brightest coming to our campuses, enhances the teaching and learning and research environments of our universities,” White pointed out. “We see the benefits of that on many levels, beyond just the economic impact for the communities.”
—Emma Godmere, CUP Ottawa Bureau Chief
