Quebec’s desire to reduce the number of foreign students concerns many CEGEPs in the region.
• Read more: Reducing temporary immigration: “We’ve seen a political round”
• Read more: Temporary immigration: Foreign students from Quebec’s perspective
Sylvain Gaudreult, president of the Regroupement des Cégeps de Régions (RCR), which represents 12 CEGEPs, expressed his concerns during an interview with LCN.
“At this point, we have more questions than answers,” he commented. “The bill was announced in the presence of Prime Minister and Immigration Minister Christine Fréchette. On the CEGEP side, we are more reassured by the Prime Minister’s statement that it is not his intention to reduce the number of classes in CEGEPs in the region.
“The presence of international students in our CEGEPs varies from 15 to 30% of students,” he continues. “This is important for CEGEPs, but also for the regions that receive them in terms of population and economic growth.”
Many CEGEPs have developed expertise in international recruitment, Mr. Gaudreult recalls. According to him, Quebec’s announcement of the upcoming bill creates “a bit of confusion.”
The Regroupement des Cégeps de Régions is ready to explain the importance of international students. Sylvain Gaudreult stressed the fact that without these foreign students, some programs could be stopped.
Watch the full interview above.
