L’école québécoise assure-t-elle l’égalité des chances? Le cheminement scolaire des jeunes noirs au secondaire

The authors presents the results of a systematic tracking of three cohorts (1994, 1995, 1996) of Francophone, Anglophone and Creole students, born in the West Indies or Africa, or who have at least one parent born in these regions, from their entrance in the secondary French language school system of Quebec through their graduation at the end of their CEGEP studies. The authors compare these students with the entire school population and the sub-group of first and second generation immigrant students. In the first part of the article, the authors give an overview of the social and educational characteristics of the five sub-groups. They then describe the groups' schooling experience using various indicators available in the Department of Education's administrative data banks, such as age when entering junior high school and when reaching senior high school; identification of "at risk" students; rates of high school graduation after five, six or seven years; and access to CEGEP and rate of graduation at that level. Finally, the authors explore the impact of various socio-demographic and school-related variables on the rate of high school graduation. The authors conclude that the proportion of Black students entering high school in the mid-1990s and graduating on time was significantly below average of non-Black students. They also conclude that Anglophone and Creloe students from the West Indies consistentely have the lowest graduation rates, while Francophone students from the West Indies have a higher graduation rate that the Anglophones and Creloes, although lower than non-Black students.

Cahiers québécois de démographie

Vol. 35

no. 1

123-148

Printemps 2006

fr