Official Languages

The House of Commons Standing Committee on Official Languages met to study the education continuum for official language minority communities. Witnesses included Francis Potié from the Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers, Marie-Nicole Dubois from the Fédération des francophones de la Colombie-Britannique, Marcel Larocque and Marie-Hélène Tanguay from the Association canadienne d'éducation de langue française, and Éric Bouchard, appearing as an individual.

Francis Potié highlighted a shortage of 8,000 to 9,400 French as a second language teachers, with core French programs enrolling nearly 75% of students outside Quebec but being undervalued. He called for long-term federal investment in teacher recruitment and retention, better training and mentorship for new teachers, and national standards for language teacher qualifications, noting that the teacher shortage often forces schools to cut programs.

Marie-Nicole Dubois described chronic underfunding of the Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique, leading to overcrowded schools, long bus rides, and inadequate infrastructure. She recommended that federal funding under the Official Languages in Education Program be given directly to school boards rather than provinces, with stronger accountability and consultation mechanisms, and urged faster teacher certification processes and more support for pre-departure services and refresher courses.

Marcel Larocque used a house analogy to describe the education continuum, emphasizing that identity building must be central at every stage, from early childhood to post-secondary education. He stressed the need for high-quality services, francophone role models, and cross-sector collaboration, and noted that the Association canadienne d'éducation de langue française works with all provinces and territories to support teachers and students through training, resources, and conferences.

Marie-Hélène Tanguay added that the association offers teaching internships and professional development focused on identity building, and that its programs bring together stakeholders from early childhood to post-secondary education to foster a shared vision. She highlighted the importance of creating spaces for exchange within the diverse francophone community to strengthen linguistic and cultural vitality.

Éric Bouchard argued that the Official Languages Act is harmful to French in Quebec because it treats anglophones as a minority, despite United Nations findings to the contrary, and funds their institutions at levels far exceeding their demographic weight. He recommended that the $100 million annually spent on anglicizing Quebec be redirected to francophone institutions outside Quebec, and stated that federal funding for English-language universities and lobby groups in Quebec contributes to the assimilation of francophones.

The committee also heard questions from members on topics such as the impact of inflation, the decline in bilingualism, and the role of social media, but no procedural debate, motions, or votes occurred during this meeting.