French classes are a hit in the Eastern Townships. But a funding cap means they'll soon be cancelled

When Riham Mohamed moved to Quebec 11 months ago, her French was limited to just "hello" and "thank you."

Simple tasks like shopping were difficult, and making friends seemed out of reach. However, three months ago, everything changed when she joined hundreds of adult students enrolled in free, full-time French classes through the Eastern Townships School Board.

"Now I can at least understand most of the conversations around me," said Mohamed.

"I can make friends, go to the hospital without help. My French isn’t perfect, but at least I can live."

Unfortunately, starting in November, the school board will have to shut down the popular program due to a lack of funding.

According to Michael Murray, chairman of the Eastern Townships School Board, the province has limited funding for adult French-language courses to 2021 levels, when only 25 students were enrolled.

Murray is now urging the province to provide the necessary funding to sustain the program, which he says addresses "the very real need" of immigrants and new arrivals in the region.

Enrollment surges in three years
Despite efforts to find alternatives, Murray says frustration is growing.

"We were basically stonewalled by the people we approached in the Ministry of Education," Murray said, explaining that he only learned about the funding cap in July.

"By mid-September, we had exhausted the budget for the entire year, and now we’re continuing the program by borrowing funds from other areas," he added.

The program, which now has over 400 students, would require several hundred thousand dollars to continue.

'We are their support system'
The board had hoped to be reimbursed for the costs of expanding the program. Now, Murray says there isn’t enough funding to run the courses beyond November 25.

"It’s heartbreaking for us, who are mandated to operate such a program, and for the people involved," Murray said.

"We are far more than just a place to learn French. We are their support system."

Mohamed describes the sense of community among the students, who have become close friends and formed a "family from different cultures."

"At first, we didn’t know each other, we couldn’t speak the same language," she said. "But with French, we’ve finally become friends."

Another student, Shirin Salehi, fears she may need to start paying for classes or leave Quebec to find work after November.

Originally from Iran, Salehi began taking full-time French classes six months ago, hoping to settle in the Eastern Townships.

"I couldn’t speak a word of French," she said, but in a few months, her French improved significantly. Now, she is forced to consider a backup plan.

"It’s so important for us to learn French because without it, we can’t improve in life or work," she said. "I may have to move."

Quebec Education Minister Bernard Drainville and Minister of the French Language Jean-François Roberge did not respond to requests for comment from CBC News.