Why some Quebec students with English eligibility are going to French schools

In Quebec, not everyone who wants to attend English schools is allowed to by law. Now, for the first time, we have data on how many that are able to attend are choosing to do so. It turns out it's only three out of four. Why is that? We decided to take a look. Maybe if I would have gotten a education in French much sooner in life, it might have been beneficial. So in trying to give them the best chances moving forward, to truly be perfectly bilingual in Quebec, to be eligible to study in England. Them for some categories of temporary immigrants, you need to have at least one parent or a sibling who did most of their studies in English within Canada. According to Statistics Canada in 2021, that number was 230,000. But many families are making the choice to send their kids to French schools instead. The facility that I had to go between in both languages, that's what I want for my kids too. They believe their kids will speak English even if they receive a French education. We speak English in the home so that their English is there. The number varies when we have a closer look at the different regions. In Montreal, for example, 81% of eligible kids are attending English school, but in some regions, like the Laurentians, it's only about 66%. Statistics Canada has an idea why, based on a similar study they did in the Maritimes provinces. We found that the language spoken at home by the parents was a key factor associated with the choice of. French language primary school in the Maritimes. Another factor that played a key role was the proximity of schools. The Sir Wilfrid Laurier school Board has the same explanation. There aren't enough schools for the vast territory they cover. The distance to schools is greater than than going to the French neighborhood school. So one of the major challenge is the proximity. The school board has a plan. We're opening up a new school in this coming September. Last June, the MEC granted authorization for the construction of two new English elementary schools in the La Grande area. These schools are are scheduled to open in 2020 seven, 2028. Hopefully, opening these new schools will be attracting more kids. Another study should be published by the end of the year which will give a clearer picture of the reasons why. Parents are making this choice.