It’s as if it were easier to turn to English. That’s why we’re here, after all. From what I read last weekend, 40% of those enrolled in university in Montreal this year are studying in English. So the problem is far from being solved.
We can look at different data. If we focus on Francophone minority communities, the role of post-secondary institutions is crucial in cementing our interest and ability to live in French and pass French on to our children. Studies on the vitality of Francophone communities have shown that this dynamic is extremely important. Imagine the number of people who, at the age of 17, will be switching languages to English for their studies. We also see that Francophones are more likely to move to study, because they still want to try to study in French. They also have higher student debt than anglophones.
So there are all sorts of very technical dynamics that we can take into consideration. But basically, the important thing to remember about post-secondary education is that it seals our commitment to a language. Clearly, then, post-secondary institutions cannot be seen as superfluous. They’re just as important as primary and secondary schools, and the supply is nowhere near meeting potential demand.