Bias against degrees from French schools declines
Quebecers still feel obtaining a university degree from an English-language institution is more promising than graduating from a French-language university, but not as much as before, results from a new poll suggests.
The survey, conducted by Léger Marketing, shows 41 per cent of Quebecers feel a degree from an English-language university is more promising than one from a French-language university. Thirty-two per cent of those polled feel the opposite.
But people between the ages of 18 and 24 feel a degree obtained in either language is essentially the same.
And only seven per cent of people in that age group feel a degree from an English-language university is more promising, whereas for people between the ages of 25 and 44, that percentage doubles.
According to Jack Jedwab, president of the Association for Canadian Studies, which commissioned the poll along with the Concordia University Quebec Studies Network and the Concordia Chair for the Study of Quebec, those numbers show how a long-standing prejudice toward French-language universities appears to be declining.
If you were to have asked this question 20 years ago, Jedwab said, more people would have sided with English-language universities, “but the dynamics have changed.”
Jedwab thinks there could be two reasons for the difference.
He says French-language universities have adapted to the demand throughout the years by integrating more English into educational material, and have also greatly improved and developed in Quebec over the course of the last 30 years.
The poll suggests that francophones value a university degree more than non-francophones, and that Quebecers overwhelmingly don’t believe a CEGEP degree alone is sufficient to maximize success.
In a section of the poll dealing with specific degrees, 75 per cent of those polled agreed a medical degree is the most promising, with only 12 per cent leaning toward a visual or fine-arts degree.
The poll also reveals a worrisome trend, according to Jedwab.
Only 15 per cent of those polled feel a degree in social sciences and humanities, the likes of studying history, political science or geography, could lead to success.
“There’s a perception that practical skills are overwhelmingly considered more valuable than the knowledge-based or knowledgegenerating degrees,” Jedwab said. “I think that’s cause for serious reflection.”
But overall, Jedwab said, the results show Quebecers are increasingly aware of the importance of knowing both languages in order to be successful.
“I think it’s made quite clear there’s a growing convergence between francophones and non-francophones around the importance of knowing both official languages to be successful today,” he said.
“Despite our differences on various issues across Quebec on the basis of our language background, bilingualism is something that we’re increasingly agreeing on.”
The poll was conducted via web panel in September and had 1,000 participants. It’s estimated to have a margin of error of 3.9 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.