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MINISTER DION STATES THAT COLLABORATION
IS THE KEY TO ACHIEVING ALL OBJECTIVES FOR STUDENT RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION IN
FRANCOPHONE SCHOOLS
TORONTO, ONTARIO, October 4, 2003 – Speaking to members of the Association canadienne d’éducation
de langue française (ACELF), the President of
the Privy Council and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, the Honourable
Stéphane Dion, today reiterated the objectives set out in the Action Plan for
Official Languages, released on March 12, regarding student recruitment and
retention in minority Francophone schools: "According to the 2001
Census, the proportion of eligible students enrolled in Francophone schools was
68%. The objective in our Plan is to bring that proportion up to 80% in ten
years’ time."
Mr. Dion noted that achieving that objective entails some challenges. Among
those, he mentioned students’ weak knowledge of French: "The vast
majority of them come from families where one parent does not have French as a
mother tongue and often does not speak the language."
Mr. Dion believes the objective "consists not only of attracting
those children to our French schools, but of retaining them – as well as those
already enrolled." In that context, the Minister pointed out that
schools should not only be welcoming, but also be high performers, ensuring
"a quality of education at least equivalent to that of the majority. In
other words, to increase the quantity, we must also enhance the quality, and
help both those who do not know how to walk and those who are ready to run
marathons."
Referring to an OECD study indicating, among other
things, that in reading, Francophone students from all provinces outside Quebec
generally perform below the Canadian average, Mr. Dion also pointed out that
their schools are vulnerable to a shortage of teachers.
To meet these challenges, the Minister set out the need to act on five
fronts: 1) introducing early intervention measures for eligible pre-schoolers
and their parents; 2) enhancing school proximity; 3) improving the quality
of services provided; 4) making schools not only places of learning but also of
cultural and community gatherings; 5) appreciably increasing the number of
young people from minority Francophone communities who pursue their
post-secondary studies in their mother tongue.
The Action Plan, which includes $751 million in funding over five years,
provides notably for the injection of $209 million during the same period for
minority-language education. Recalling the need to see education as a continuum
of family literacy, daycare, pre-school, primary and secondary school and
post-secondary education, Mr. Dion stressed the importance in this context of
strengthening the partnership among the Government of Canada, the provinces, the
education community, parents, students and communities. Creating a new fund for
minority-language education, which will support projects funded jointly by
Canadian Heritage and education ministries, will help to achieve that objective.
In closing, Minister Dion again voiced his optimism about French schools in
Canada, emphasizing that there are now "150,000 students in 674
Francophone schools, as well as a network of 19 Francophone colleges and
universities outside Quebec." The experience acquired over the years,
excellent federal-provincial relations in this area, and the progress achieved
in recent decades, have bolstered Mr. Dion’s confidence, and he concluded by
issuing the following appeal: "So, help us to help you: mobilize
yourselves to choose the best projects, for your school, your community, your
province, and the cause of French in Canada."
The Minister’s text is available on the Intergovernmental Affairs Website
at the following address: http://www.pco-bcp.gc.ca/aia
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For information:
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André Lamarre
Senior Advisor
Telephone: (613) 943-1838
Fax: (613) 943-5553
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