CEGEP Edouard-Montpetit in Longueuil was completely French up until a few days ago, and that has some critics miffed.

The college has debuted a new English-language aeronautics program at its St. Hubert campus and it has 32 new students to fill up the classroom.

Until this semester the courses were done in French but that's changed now that a similar program at John Abbott College was cancelled and moved to Edouard-Montpetit.

The CEGEP has marketed the National Institute of Aeronautics program to English school boards in an industry that operates mostly in English.

But the English courses aren't flying with everyone.

The teachers' union at Edouard says the French CEGEP has no business offering classes in any other language.

Union president Richard Drolet says the English course is not consistent with the school's status as a French institution.

Director disagrees

Serge Brasset, director of the CEGEP, says the union's argument doesn't make sense given the overwhelmingly francophone student body.

"We have 7,661 students and we have 32 anglophones," he told CTV News reporter Daniele Hamamdjian.

"Most of them are bilingual, so I don't think we will become bilingual."

Saving grace

Prior to this semester, English students completed two years at John Abbott and then did their third and final year in French at Edouard-Montpetit -- not an easy task.

"(It was) very difficult," said anglo student Pat Altomare. "Especially for an anglophone student who's been in English schools his whole life."

If not for Edouard's English courses, some anglos might otherwise opt to move to Ontario to get their aerospace diplomas.

What's more, the National Institute of Aeronautics is billed as one of the best schools of its kind in the country, if not North America.

Students have 20 planes and nine helicopters at their disposal.