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“They are going nowhere with this,” Legault said. “They will lose.”

There was no immediate reaction from the Quebec English School Board Association which was meeting with Quebec Education Minister Jean-François Roberge on Friday. It represents the various school boards in this matter and has said in the past it will fight the plan all the way to the Supreme Court.

Roberge has argued minority rights will be safe.

But the QCGN said the issue is not just about pupils and desks.

“They (the boards) were vital to the very survival and identity of our English-speaking community,” the group said. “In this context the courts have consistently ruled in favour of French-language communities across Canada.”

They added that before going ahead with the plan, the government should test its theory that such a move would be legal by kicking the idea to the Quebec Court of Appeal today to get a declaratory judgment on the legality of their plan.

pauthier@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/philipauthier