In 2021, in the Maritime provinces, nearly three-quarters (72%) of elementary school-aged children eligible for instruction in French were attending or had attended French-language elementary school. This proportion was higher among children with at least one parent who spoke French most often at home (92%) and among those who lived closer to a French-language school than to an English-language school (89%).
The results are based on a new study, "The school closest to home: Proximity of French-language elementary schools and enrolment in the Maritime provinces."
Using data from the 2021 Census and the 2022 Open Database of Educational Facilities, the study examines the role played by English and French school proximity in the enrolment in French-language schools in the Maritime provinces. Since elementary school is a pivotal place for learning and socialization in the lives of young children, attending French-language schools is important for the intergenerational transmission of language and the preservation of the language.
