Indian Students In Canada Protest Against Compulsory French Language Exams, Face Backlash
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Indian students in Quebec said their colleges in Montreal are forcing them to pass French exams before they can obtain their degrees.
The video has been posted on the Instagram page of ‘French With Fairness’
Indian students in Quebec, Canada are facing backlash after protesting against compulsory French language exams required for their degrees. In a widely shared video, the students, with blurred faces, expressed their opposition to being forced to take French exams to receive their degrees and a post-graduation work permit.
Indian students in Quebec said their colleges in Montreal are forcing them to pass French exams before they can obtain their degrees. They noted that this requirement does not seem to apply to students at McGill and Concordia, both universities in Montreal, Quebec.
The students said that failing to pass these exams means they will not receive their degrees. They stated that their issue is not with learning French, but with the fear and uncertainty caused by Bill 96, a law passed in Quebec in 2022 to promote French language.
The video has been posted on the Instagram page of ‘French With Fairness’ .
Canada has two official languages – English and French. French is most widely spoken in Quebec, a province in eastern Canada known for its rich French heritage and distinct cultural identity. Despite coming under British control later on, Quebec maintained its French language and civil law traditions after being colonized by the French in the early 17th century.
The video received backlash with many locals suggesting that international students return to India if they cannot learn the language of the country.
“They literally picked Montreal, which is part of the AUTONOMOUS province of Canada, Quebec where French is the official language. If the students can’t even communicate in the official language, what’s the point of giving them PGWP?” wrote one Instagram user.
“Go back to India if you don’t want to learn French. This is the language and culture here; nobody owes you a compromise because you don’t want to put the work in to learn the language,” wrote another user.
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