Abstract

This thesis follows the historical movement of Quebec's educational and language policies for the purpose of illustrating the antecedents that led up to the emergence of Quebecois nationalism; and to illustrate that prior to the 1960's and the 'Quiet Revolution', anglophone Quebecers enjoyed a majority status mentality, despite being a numerical minority. I argue that due to their prior majority status mentality, their demotion to that of a minority was in fact involuntary. Gibson and Ogbu (1990) demonstrate that involuntary minorities specifically, those from the lower social-economic strata are particularly vulnerable to the negative psychological effects that are partially caused by the restraints placed on their rights. One of the areas most negatively affected is the education system. Studies indicate that students who attend inner city schools are more likely to dropout than those students from more affluent neighbourhoods. There is also a higher ratio of 'at risk' students, more specifically, students with behavioural problems to 'normal' students. When this is compounded with class sizes of between thirty and forty students, the potential for anti-social behaviour is increased. Case studies and interviews with educators demonstrate that it is impossible to effectively implement ministerial directives such as the 'New Curriculum Reform' because policy-makers at the Ministere d education du Quebec (MEQ) did not account for these kinds of environments. I argue that there is a need to create new paradigms for the service and delivery of ministerial policies/directives to inner city English language schools.