The Quebec English-speaking Communities Research Network (QUESCREN) has released a new documentary exploring the legal battle waged by the English-language education sector against the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ).
The 17-minute film called Section 23 and the Legal Challenges Concerning English-Language Education in Quebec, highlights debates around interpretation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms which guarantees minority-language education rights.
It highlights key challenges including legislation on secularism, the abolition of elected school boards, and efforts to strengthen the Charter of the French Language.
The film draws on research connected to Concordia University, which also co-organized the conference featured in the documentary.
Anita Aloisio, the film’s director and a research associate at QUESCREN, said she hoped the film helped people to better understand Section 23 and what’s at stake.
“This project showed me just how contested (Section 23)’s interpretation remains, and how concrete the consequences of these issues are for the English-language education sector in Quebec,” Aloisio said.
The documentary brings together perspectives from academics, legal experts, and community representatives who gathered last spring at a conference held as part of the Acfas Congress. It includes interviews with Thomas Mulcair, Raphaël Gani, Julius Grey, Guillaume Rousseau, Marion Sandilands, and Stephen Thompson.
