The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government's proposed provincial constitution is being condemned by English-language education leaders as a direct assault on the community's constitutionally protected control over its schools. Critics argue that Bill 1, the Quebec Constitution Act, 2025, would effectively hand authority to the provincial government, sidelining elected anglophone representatives.
Centralizing Control and Silencing Opposition
Joe Ortona, president of the Quebec English School Boards Association (QESBA) and chair of the English Montreal School Board (EMSB), warns the legislation aims to transform English schools into "an extension of the Ministry of Education." He states the government's goal is to "completely sideline the elected commissioners, who are elected by the English-speaking community."
A particularly contentious provision in the bill would bar public bodies like school boards, universities, and municipalities from using public funds to challenge provincial laws deemed to "protect the Quebec nation." This would cripple the ability of institutions like Concordia University, McGill University, and anglophone school boards to defend their rights in court, a tool they have repeatedly used against CAQ policies.
"Rather than try to win arguments that they can’t win, what they’re essentially trying to do now is just change the rules of the game," Ortona said, describing the government's strategy.
Eroding Autonomy and Blocking Funding
The proposed constitution arrives after years of CAQ efforts to eliminate elected anglophone school boards, following the model used for French boards, which were replaced with government-controlled service centres. English boards have survived only through successful legal challenges.
Ortona highlighted that the bill would grant Quebec the power to order school boards to reject alternative funding, such as federal money for culture or infrastructure. He cited the example of $432 million in federal COVID-19 funds for school air quality that never reached its intended purpose in Quebec schools.
"We should have the autonomy to work with whoever we want, including the federal government, to support our students," Ortona asserted. The QESBA, representing boards serving 100,000 students, warns the bill could make English schools "dependent on the provincial government and subject to the whims of the political party in power."
Broad Criticism and Legal Warnings
The constitutional proposal, drafted without public consultation, has ignited widespread criticism beyond the anglophone community. The Barreau du Québec, the province's law society, has labeled it a "drift towards authoritarianism."
Opposition parties, constitutional lawyers, academics, and civil rights groups have united in opposition. The Ligue des droits et libertés argues the bill "denies the place and rights of the anglophone community," while the anglophone coalition TALQ warns it "fails to acknowledge any historic rights" for English-speakers. Notably, Bill 1 mentions English-speaking Quebecers only once, in its preamble.
Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette, leading the initiative, has stated the law would not affect minority rights, a claim disputed by the growing chorus of detractors. A coalition of 318 groups has called the plan "authoritarian and undemocratic," and a human rights lawyers' group has asked the United Nations to investigate.
Ortona emphasized that the fight will continue: "They just want to run everything from the top down, and that’s never going to work when it comes to the English school boards because we’re going to fight that every step of the way." The QESBA and allied groups will present a joint brief to a National Assembly commission reviewing Bill 1 in February 2025.
