Ministry of Education
More choice in high school to support francophone student success
Wider range of courses will better engage and retain French-language
Students
QUEEN'S PARK, ON, Feb. 3 - Francophone students at every
French-language high school across the province will soon have a greater
ability to customize their education with more courses to meet their interests
and career goals, announced Education Minister Gerard Kennedy today.
"We are transforming our high schools to offer our francophone students
the kind of programs that are relevant to them and keep them engaged in
French-language education."
"Francophone students deserve the same opportunities as their English-
language counterparts. There's more at stake than ever before for our
francophone students to get a high school education that is high quality,
meaningful and prepares them for a variety of postsecondary destinations."
This announcement supports the government's Aménagement linguistique
policy to reduce assimilation and retain francophone students in French-
language education, and the Student Success Strategy to modernize high schools
and increase graduation rates through a range of new courses, high skills
major, expanded co-ops, innovative lighthouse programs and upgraded technical
education facilities.
As part of the announcement, $6.5 million will be allocated to help
French-language boards provide secondary schools with more staff to offer a
broader range of courses and help francophone students make the transition
from French-language elementary to French-language secondary schools.
The government recognizes that English-language secondary schools are
able to offer a wider variety of courses compared to French-language secondary
schools.
This investment will allow each French-language secondary school to offer
up to 6 new courses. Across the province, up to 500 new course credits will be
offered in French-language secondary schools.
"Giving our francophone youth access to a wide range of learning choices
in our secondary schools is critical for their success and key to showing the
added value of French-language education in a globalized world," said
Madeleine Meilleur, Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs.
"The strength and the quality of our French-language high schools are
vital for the future of the francophone community and for its ongoing
contribution to Ontario's growth," added Jean-Marc Lalonde, MPP for Glengarry-
Prescott-Russell.
"We welcome today's announcement with enthusiasm," said Joseph Bisnaire
chair, Association franco-ontarienne des conseils scolaires catholiques.
"This additional funding will increase the capacity of our French-
language catholic school boards to offer a high quality education for their
secondary students."
This investment means an additional teacher's salary for each of the
province's French-language secondary schools and an additional base amount of
$84,804 for each French-language school board.
Providing francophone students with access to a wider range of courses
could better engage, motivate and retain those students, instead of losing
them to English-language high schools.
The $6.5 million investment is part of the $20 million enhancement to the
Actualisation linguistique en français (ALF) allocation, announced last
spring. The remaining $13.5 million was invested to implement other ALF
programs, including learning resources, teacher salaries and support for
students.
"We are pleased about today's announcement which will enhance educational
services for students attending French-language public secondary schools,"
said Ronald Marion, chair, ACEPO.
Disponible en français.
www.edu.gov.on.ca
www.resultsontario.gov.on.ca
Backgrounder
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STUDENT SUCCESS STRATEGY: ONTARIO'S FRANCOPHONE STUDENTS
Reducing Assimilation
The French language and culture in Ontario have been experiencing
increasing assimilation over the years. To help strengthen French-language
education in Ontario, the McGuinty government introduced a new plan -
Politique d'aménagement linguistique to promote French language and culture,
improve student achievement and self-esteem and help keep young Franco-
Ontarians in French-language schools.
Each of the 12 French-language school boards and their respective schools
have been working with their communities - teachers, parents, students and
community organizations - to develop a local approach to countering
assimilation and to improving student achievement and retention rates. All
local policies will be in place by June 2006.
Funding to Address Unique Challenges and Support the Student Success
Strategy
The McGuinty government recognizes that French-language school boards
face higher costs to deliver education programs and services. The government
provided an increase of $30 million in 2004-05 and is providing an increase of
$20 million in 2005-06 in Actualisation linguistique en français funding for
French-language school boards to help counter assimilation and better instil
French culture and language in young Franco-Ontarians.
Funding was also increased to address administrative issues facing small
elementary and secondary schools, challenges of delivering special education
programs in French and capital funding needs.
Last winter, ACEPO and the Association franco-ontarienne des conseils
scolaires catholiques made a recommendation to the ministry regarding funding
for programs in French-language secondary schools. The ministry noted the
challenges French-language schools face to retain students when they move from
the elementary to the secondary level.
With that recommendation in mind, $6.5 million will be allocated to help
French-language boards provide secondary schools with more staff to offer a
broader range of courses and help francophone students make the transition
from French-language elementary to French-language secondary schools.
This announcement supports the government's Aménagement linguistique
policy and the Student Success Strategy to transform high schools and increase
graduation rates by offering students unique courses so they can customize
their education to their interests and career goals.
The government recognizes that English-language secondary schools are
able to offer a wider variety of courses compared to French-language secondary
schools.
This investment will allow each French-language secondary school to offer
up to 6 new courses. Across the province, up to 500 new course credits will be
offered in French-language secondary schools.
Providing francophone students with access to a wider range of courses
could better engage, motivate and retain those students, instead of losing
them to English-language high schools.
This investment means an additional teacher's salary for each of the
province's French-language secondary schools and an additional base amount of
$84,804 for each French-language school board.
The $6.5 million investment is part of the $20 million enhancement to the
ALF allocation, announced last spring. The remaining $13.5 million was
invested to implement other ALF programs, including learning resources,
teacher training and support for students.
The increase in funding for French-language boards in 2005-06 will total
almost $70 million. In addition to targeted funding, French-language students
are benefiting overall from smaller class sizes, labour stability, and
cleaner, safer schools.
Disponible en français
www.edu.gov.on.ca
Contact Info
For further information: Amanda Alvaro, Minister's Office,
(416) 325-2632, (416) 509-5696 (cell); Wilma Davis, Communications Branch,
(416) 325-6730; Public Inquiries: (416) 325-2929 or 1-800-387-5514; TTY:
1-800-263-2892
