Quebec autistic teen barred from French exemption, forced out of college
Eighteen-year-old Henry Gendreau was removed from his CEGEP program after the Quebec Education Ministry denied his request for a French-language exemption based on his autism.
Henry Gendreau, an 18-year-old autistic student from Gatineau, enrolled in a Quebec CEGEP animation program that required a French-language exemption due to his learning challenges. The province’s Education Ministry refused his exemption request, largely because he missed many classes while receiving tutoring, and provided no avenue for appeal. The denial forced his removal from the college after a single semester, leaving him without the friends and skills he had hoped to gain.
His father, Daniel Gendreau, highlighted the lack of communication from the ministry and the burdensome, seven-month application process. Experts such as Marie-Eve Lefebvre note that the high rejection rate discourages many disabled students from applying, while Christopher Craig of the Quebec English School Boards Association says the practice often curtails students’ potential. Henry is now enrolled in a private online program in Ontario to complete his high-school diploma.
Why it matters
The case shows how Quebec's language exemption rules can block autistic students from post-secondary education.
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