MODERNIZATION OF THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGES ACT
FNCSF applauds measures proposed in the federal government's language reform

The reform document on official languages, unveiled by the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages, offers hope for strengthening the education rights of Francophones in minority communities.

The Fédération nationale des conseils scolaires francophones (FNCSF) welcomes the document, titled English and French: Towards the substantive equality of official languages in Canada, which includes significant commitments on the part of the federal government aimed at fostering the vitality and sustainability of the French-language education network in minority settings by supporting Francophone immigration, the continuum of education and school governance.

The reform proposes the inclusion of language clauses in federal-provincial and territorial agreements to encourage the use of existing accountability tools.

FNCSF President, Louis Arseneault, considers this an excellent step forward: "Our Federation has long called for greater accountability for federal funds allocated to provinces and territories for supplementary education costs. The proposed inclusion of language clauses in bilateral agreements should contribute to increased accountability."

Furthermore, in its language reform, the federal government affirms its commitment to strengthen the continuum of education in the minority language from early childhood to postsecondary studies.

"Institutional completeness is vital to further develop the French-language education network in minority settings which has been growing for the past 5 years, with an average annual enrolment increase of over 16% in French-language schools. The continuum is a driver of growth and vitality for Francophone and Acadian minority communities," Mr. Arseneault added.

The FNCSF also considers that in the Official Languages Act's modernization, the Minister is right to propose the inclusion of an obligation for Statistics Canada to enumerate rights holders. In the past, the difficulty in identifying rights holders hampered the expansion of the French-language school network because provincial and territorial governments require evidence before building new schools.

The FNCSF is also pleased with the government's intention to help combat the shortage of Francophone teachers through the establishment of a fast-track immigration program and the development, with provincial and territorial governments, of a framework for recognizing the qualifications of teachers of French as a first language that can be applied across the country to foster interprovincial/territorial mobility.

"The modernization of the OLA is a huge endeavour. The FNCSF acknowledges the work done by Francophone and Acadian communities and the French school community in recent years to support the federal government in this work. The FNCSF is delighted to see the government recognize the unique status of French as a vulnerable langue that needs specific protection and promotion measures," declared Mr. Arseneault.

He added: "Thanks to the excellent measures proposed in the official languages reform document, the FNCSF should be better equipped to continue its work advocating for French first-language education rights in minority settings which includes the recognition of real equivalence in education, enhanced federal funding in support of French first-language education to reflect the cost of living and the increased number of pupils, and the disposal of federal real property."

The FNCSF hopes a bill aimed at modernizing the OLA will be adopted before the end of the year and is ready to cooperate further with the federal government towards its implementation.