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It’s no secret that a growing number of anglophone parents in Quebec are choosing French schools for their children.

This has contributed to a decline in enrolment at Quebec’s English schools, particularly on the island of Montreal. While other factors are beyond school boards’ control —like demographics and the restrictions imposed by Bill 101 — the 12 per cent of anglophones opting for French schools is one variable they might hope to influence.

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These parents increasingly realize that for their children to not only survive but thrive in Quebec they need to be both bilingual and bicultural.

But these very personal decisions are often at odds with the interests of the English-speaking community, which benefits from strong institutions that serve members in their mother tongue.

Quebec’s English schools need to do more to adapt to this dynamic. The English Montreal School Board this week launched a new publicity campaign: “Être bilingue, c’est gagnant!” to tout the benefits of its bilingual and immersion programs. It might also extol the advantages of education in English schools, like stronger writing skills in English, and the advantages of a mother-tongue education for weaker students or those with learning disabilities.