Minister Joly announces increased funding to provinces and territories to support vibrant and high-quality education in official-language minority communities

OTTAWA, June 25, 2019 /CNW/ - Our two official languages are a source of wealth for all Canadians. All children should have the opportunity to thrive, grow and have fun at school in their own language. The Government of Canada is committed to supporting the development of French- and English-speaking minority communities across the country.

The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie, announced that $60 million (over four years) has been set aside to increase funding to provinces and territories in support of vibrant and high-quality minority-language education as provisioned in Budget 2019. These funds will supplement the more than $235 million in funding already allocated to the provinces and territories each year to serve the growing number of students from minority-language communities. This is the first increase in more than 10 years.

Available from 2019–2020, the new funds can be used to finance initiatives by ministries of education to support minority education from preschool to the post-secondary level, thereby fostering the vitality of official-language minority communities.

The additional funding is conditional on the signing of the Protocol for Agreements for Minority-Language Education and Second-Language Instruction and/or bilateral agreements that make provisions for consultation with education stakeholders and greater transparency and accountability. Negotiations for the Protocol are carried out by the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada on behalf of the provinces and territories.

These new measures will enable Canadians to better assess and understand the effects of investments on the vitality of our official-language communities.

Quotes

"This additional funding will help meet the growing needs of minority educational establishments. Access to education in one's own language plays an essential role in the vitality of official-language minority communities and in promoting bilingualism. Our government is reaffirming our commitment to supporting the development of official languages across the country."

—The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie

Quick Facts

The Protocol for Agreements for Minority-Language Education and Second-Language Instruction is a policy framework established by the Government of Canada and the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada. It provides a framework for bilateral agreements in this area and aims to provide members of official-language minority communities in each province or territory with the opportunity to study in their own language. It also aims to ensure that residents of each province or territory have opportunities to learn English or French as a second language and to learn more about the cultures associated with English- or French-language minority communities.

The Government of Canada announced support for minority-language education through Budget 2019.

The Action Plan for Official Languages 2018–2023: Investing in Our Future provides an unprecedented $2.7 billion over five years, including $500 million in new funding, to support official-language minority communities and promote bilingualism across the country.

The Action Plan provides a clear vision, new financial assistance and specific measures to foster the vitality of official-language minority communities and promote English and French across the country.

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SOURCE Canadian Heritage

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