Abstract

This study analyses the discourses of school actors involved in the placement procedures of newly arrived immigrant students in the classe d’accueil (welcoming class), a linguistic, academic and social integration program in Quebec. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 37 school actors, and the data was analysed through a thematic lens. The results present how school actors understand the purpose of the welcoming class. The prerequisites for success influence students’ educational paths, since their absence can result in being sent after their stay in the welcoming class to paths other than the mainstream class (e.g., adult education or special education). The analysis indicates that student integration is understood as a need of the students rather than a need of the host society, thus suggesting othering. More precisely, students tend to be evaluated and placed based on deficit thinking without highlighting local structural issues, which demonstrates lack of care for these students.

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