Legislation

In 1977, Québec’s National Assembly adopted the Charter of the French language (Bill 101), which states that all children must be educated in French until the end of their secondary studies, whether in a public school or a subsidized private school.

To assist those students who are not fluent in French, the Ministère offers a variety of language learning support measures in cooperation with the school boards, which offer preschool, elementary school and secondary school education.

The Charter does not apply to Québec's colleges and universities or non-subsidized private institutions.

The Charter does provide for certain special cases where children are permitted to pursue their preschool, elementary and secondary school education in English at English-language public schools or subsidized private schools.

The Ministère is responsible for applying the division I of Chapter VIII of the Charter of the French language and its regulations.

The application of the new provisions of the Charter of the French language

The Bill 96: An Act respecting French, the official and common language of Québec amending the Charter of the French language was passed by the National Assembly on May 24, 2022. The provisions of this Act concerning eligibility to receive instruction in English came into force on the date the Act received assent.

The Ministère is taking all the necessary measures to apply the new provisions of the Charter and the related regulation as quickly as possible and to inform the school boards and schools concerned about the steps to take.