OTTAWA, ON – Canadian Parents for French welcomes the Federal Government’s support to Official Languages in Canada.
On February 27, 2018, the Federal Budget outlined plans to provide $400 million in new funding over the next five years starting in 2018-19, with an additional $88.4 million per year ongoing, in support of the Action Plan for Official Languages 2018-23.
This investment is close to four times the amount allocated in 2017 and illustrates the Federal Government’s commitment to the importance of Official Languages in Canada.
The Federal Budget plans to allocate funding towards several areas including
- Community organizations to ensure that they are able to continue to provide important services for individuals in their communities, to welcome newcomers, and to foster early childhood development.
- Development of an interactive application to make it easy for Canadians to learn English or French as a second language.
- The recruitment and retention of teachers who teach French and English as a second language.
These areas of funding support CPF’s mission to further bilingualism by promoting and creating opportunities for students to learn and use French.
After a recent meeting with Minister of Canadian Heritage, Mélanie Joly, Canadian Parents for French National President, Nancy McKeraghan, was optimistic of the outlook of the Budget. After yesterday’s announcement, Ms McKeraghan stated that “It is excellent to see the federal government is taking Official Languages in Canada seriously and these monies will be of great assistance in promoting French as a second language in Canada.”
“We are very pleased to see that the priorities shared by education stakeholders during the Consultation on Official Languages are featured in the budget including an understanding that community organizations are pivotal in the promotion of bilingualism.” Stated Canadian Parents for French National Executive Director, Nicole Thibault, “There is a high parental demand for access to French Immersion programs and this financial support will enable schools districts to provide quality programs across the country.”
Canadian Parents for French is a nationwide, research-informed, volunteer organization that furthers bilingualism by promoting and creating opportunities to learn and use French for all those who call Canada home.