Gallicism, Anglo-Saxonism and Quebec Education

Abstract

French and English Quebeckers have long held contrasting views of education. The conventional explanation has it that the situation is a natural outgrowth of language, religious and political differences. Yet what must be appreciated is that there are additional factors contributing to the educational divide, to steering French and English Quebeckers in opposite directions. The two peoples are products of different cultural legacies that have left their educational mark. French Quebecois are cultural heirs to the Gallic tradition of rationalism, codified law, and centralism, while English Quebeckers draw inspiration from the Anglo-Saxon legacy of empiricism, common law, and localism.