“Learning the French language is very important for immigrants. It will help Quebec’s economy more if immigrants speak French. »
Published at 6:00 a.m.
Who speaks like this?
The Prime Minister of Quebec or one of his ministers? The leader of the Parti Québécois? No.
This plea for the Frenchization of immigrants is that of Olha Pyroh, a Ukrainian refugee who fled her country when Russia invaded it.
She arrived in Sherbrooke with her son Sasha, 7 years old. Her husband stayed in Ukraine to fight the war, like all men his age.
In Sherbrooke, Olha Pyroh is not idle.
She takes care of her son, who is autistic.
Professor of economics at a university in Ukraine, she continues to give her courses remotely.
She does research in economics at the University of Sherbrooke, thanks to a grant from the Quebec government for Ukrainian researchers.
And she takes French classes four times a week at the Center Saint-Michel in Sherbrooke.
Or rather, she was taking French lessons. They were interrupted at the end of October, due to budgetary directives from the Quebec government to school service centers.
PHOTO MARIKA VACHON, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Ukrainian refugee Olha Pyroh
It’s ridiculous [comme décision]. As immigrants, we need to learn French. Where will we go to learn French?
Olha Pyroh, Ukrainian refugee
Quebec stopped funding francization courses in several school service centers, because the latter had already spent their entire budget this year (the demand for the courses is greater than expected).
“As an economist, I don’t understand this decision, for immigrants and also for teachers,” she said. We have just started a new school year. »
The Legault government said that we were going to offer other francization course options to immigrants, through Francisation Québec.
However, in practice, among the immigrants we spoke to, Francisation Québec often offers them evening classes. Since many immigrants work evenings, this alternative may often not work.
Francisation Québec offered Olha Pyroh new francization courses three evenings a week at the Sherbrooke CEGEP.
However, in the evening, Mme Pyroh takes care of her autistic son alone.
Why disrupt a system that was working relatively well, for obscure budgetary reasons? This is a good example of a bureaucratic decision poorly adapted to real life.
Olha Pyroh, who is motivated to learn French and live in French in Quebec, does not know what she is going to do.
She has two choices.
Or she pays a teacher who will come and look after her son in the evening. It will eat into the family budget, and his son has difficulty adapting to the changes.
Or she is giving up her French classes for the moment, and she sees her goal of becoming an economics professor in Quebec slipping away. She speaks French well (level 6 out of 10), but not enough to teach.
Without my French courses, it is impossible to pass my French exams to become a teacher. I want to work, to be useful for the economy. I have a salary, I pay taxes here. Immigrants want to work and pay taxes.
Olha Pyroh, Ukrainian refugee
Olha Pyroh is very grateful for her new life in Quebec. “My son has an incredible school, adapted to his needs. We are safe in Quebec. There are four seasons like in Ukraine. Thank you for opening your doors to us, your support is very important. »
However, she has a message for the Legault government: reconsider your decision.
“Save French lessons,” she said. This is important for immigrants. Quebec’s economy will benefit if immigrants learn French. It would be a victory for the government politically, culturally and economically. »
What do you think? Participate in the dialogue
Two other testimonies
“I want to speak French to my child”
PHOTO PROVIDED BY ITALA FORTES
Itala Fortes
Itala Fortes is carrying a Quebec baby in her womb. This Brazilian, married to a Quebecer, works full time in the afternoon and evening, and did three hours of French training in the morning. Until his course was interrupted in Sherbrooke last month. This Portuguese-English language teacher and translator panicked when she heard the news. “I need to master the French language to be able to communicate correctly with my child. I experience a mixture of fear, outrage and sadness seeing my child’s homeland treat his mother and other immigrants this way,” she says. For Mme Strong, in Quebec, we must live in French. “It’s important for my integration that I speak French well,” she says. The Sherbrooke CEGEP offered him evening French courses. However, this is impossible: she already works every weekday evening. “I bought three books and my husband is going to help me improve my French, but it’s not like French lessons. »
A Mexican who speaks French in Abitibi
PHOTO PROVIDED BY DANIEL ANTONIO TELLEZ
Daniel Antonio Tellez
Daniel Antonio Tellez loves Quebec. This computer technician, who is a temporary immigrant, has been repairing computer machines in Abitibi for three years. “Quebecers are wonderful and incredible,” he said. But government is something else. He has a completely different attitude. It’s weird. It seems like the government doesn’t want us here. » He works long days. Then, three evenings a week for two and a half years, he took French courses. “Being able to communicate with people is important,” he says. His classes stopped last month. We didn’t offer him anything else, because there are no other French courses in Abitibi. “I’ll try to continue watching videos in French, but it’s not the same as a course,” said Mr. Tellez, whose wife and two daughters currently live in Mexico. He would like to obtain his permanent immigration status.
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