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Quebec’s Court of Appeal has affirmed a previous ruling by a lower court, determining that a law aimed at abolishing school boards in the province infringes upon the educational rights of English-language minorities. This ruling emphasizes the constitutional rights granted to the anglophone community in managing their educational institutions.
The Quebec English School Boards Association welcomed the verdict, viewing it as an important acknowledgment of their rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The association voiced optimism that the Quebec government would refrain from escalating the matter to the Supreme Court of Canada, describing the decision as “crystal-clear.”
In its 2023 ruling, the Quebec Superior Court identified the provincial law as a violation of the linguistic minority education rights outlined in Section 23 of the Charter. This law, enacted in February 2020, replaced traditional French school boards with service centres. However, the implementation of measures concerning English language school boards had been paused pending the resolution of the legal dispute.
Education Minister Bernard Drainville has opted not to provide comments regarding the ruling; his office indicated that it is currently reviewing the court’s decision.
As this legal episode unfolds, the implications for educational governance within Quebec’s diverse linguistic framework continue to be closely monitored.
Source
globalnews.ca