Bill 86 changes to come, Couillard spokesman says

The Quebec government has confirmedchanges are coming to Bill 86, the proposed school board reform which would abolish school board elections.

Aspokesmanfor Premier Philippe Couillard said Education MinisterSbasatienProulxhas beenconsidering the different points of view since hearings on the proposed legislation ended this week.

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"The minister of education is taking all of this into account and [is] going to make certain amendments to the bill," Couillard spokesman HaroldFortintold CBC News.

The contentious bill has faced especially fierce oppositionfrom English school boards, which are concerned the changes would jeopardize the anglophone community's constitutional right as a language minority group to manage its own schools by electing representatives.

The province'slegislative hearings into the bill beganlast monthandmore than 50 groups and individuals signed up to present their positions, including French and English school boards.

"We find Minister Proulx to be very open. He's opened the door for us to have dialogue with him and we've already had a meeting," said Jennifer Maccarone, president of the Quebec English School Boards Association.

But Maccarone said the QESBA was reserving any comment on changes to Bill 86 until the amendments were made clear.

"Until all of the details have been outlined, we remain cautiously optimistic."