Evidence of meeting #95 for Official Languages in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was young.
A recording is available from Parliament.
9:05 a.m.
Bloc
Mario Beaulieu Bloc La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC
Ms. Anderson, I didn't have time to get answers to my last question.
Some people say that funding the French-language university network doesn't really matter in terms of the survival of French, because it's not a zero-sum game.
What do you think?
9:05 a.m.
President, Commission nationale des parents francophones
I strongly disagree.
The more we fund post-secondary programs in French, the more young people will be attracted to them.
There's not enough choice, and that doesn't encourage them to continue their studies in French. If they don't want to become nurses or teachers or go to eastern Canada to take the program they're interested in in French to become, say, lawyers or engineers, they're forced to continue their studies in English in western Canada.
9:05 a.m.
Executive Director, Commission nationale des parents francophones
I would also add that many parents decide to send their children to an English-language school in high school to prepare them for post-secondary education, because they think it will be in English.
The French-language high school system is losing a lot of young people because of the lack of supply at the post-secondary level. This is another important factor to consider.
9:05 a.m.
Bloc
9:05 a.m.
Board President, Fédération de la jeunesse canadienne-française
Indeed, that is a reality we have to face.
There are students who go to high school in a French-language school, or even a French immersion school, and who don't have access to a French-language program at the post-secondary level. They can then end up losing the use of the language.
This is a reality we often see in New Brunswick. People come out of a French immersion school, go to an English-language post-secondary institution, and then end up losing the use of French.
Young people who can continue their education in our French-language post-secondary institutions are more likely to stay in our communities, work there and contribute to their vitality.
It is therefore very important to adequately fund our post-secondary institutions.
9:05 a.m.
Bloc
Mario Beaulieu Bloc La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC
So you agree that it's important to devote a larger share of funding to francophone universities. It's not a zero-sum game.
Right?
9:05 a.m.
Board President, Fédération de la jeunesse canadienne-française
Of course, it's very important. French-language post-secondary institutions need more funding.
9:10 a.m.
Bloc
Mario Beaulieu Bloc La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC
All right.
Among the things you mentioned, Mr. Thériault, I find the question of scholarships for students who want to study in French really interesting. Thank you for that comment.
I won't have time to ask you a question about that, but I think it would be important for us to talk about it in our report.
Thank you.
9:10 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal René Arseneault
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu.
Ms. Ashton, you have the floor for two and a half minutes.
9:10 a.m.
NDP
Niki Ashton NDP Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB
Thank you.
Mr. Thériault, at the end of my last turn, I mentioned the federal French internship program for youth, a program you managed in the past.
What are the consequences of the fact that this program no longer exists? Should the federal government reinvest in such a program?
9:10 a.m.
Board President, Fédération de la jeunesse canadienne-française
Youth employability is obviously a big challenge. The cost of living is rising all the time. So it's very important that young people have access to jobs in French in our communities. We can see that jobs are available, but they're not always well known. They're not promoted.
We need to set up an internship program that highlights existing jobs or creates new jobs for young people. This could help them meet the ever-increasing cost of education. This has a huge impact, as some students drop out of school when they can't afford the costs involved.
9:10 a.m.
NDP
Niki Ashton NDP Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB
Do you believe that such a program is coherent and reflects the vision of supporting the francophone post-secondary sector and investing in opportunities to live and work in French?
9:10 a.m.
Board President, Fédération de la jeunesse canadienne-française
These are obviously programs that are very important. They're part of the post-secondary environment.
For francophone students who don't have the financial means to study, there must be jobs in French. Think of the foreign students who come to study at our institutions and can't work in English, because they don't speak the language. For them, working in a predominantly English-speaking environment is difficult.
So we need to make jobs available in French to enable these students to work in French.
9:10 a.m.
NDP
Niki Ashton NDP Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB
I'll be brief.
Mr. Thériault, do you agree that post-secondary institutions should be able to count on stable, predictable and adequate funding?
9:10 a.m.
Board President, Fédération de la jeunesse canadienne-française
Yes, we agree and support the recommendation of the Association des collèges et universités de la francophonie canadienne, or ACUFC, to increase funding to $80 million per year for post-secondary institutions.
9:10 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal René Arseneault
Thank you, witnesses.
Before we move on to our next witnesses, I'd like to ask Ms. Anderson a question.
Ms. Anderson, in your opening remarks, you said that half of the curriculum or courses—I'm not sure I understood— came from the University of Ottawa.
Is that correct?
9:10 a.m.
President, Commission nationale des parents francophones
Yes, that's right.
9:10 a.m.
President, Commission nationale des parents francophones
No, I mean the whole program.
9:10 a.m.
Executive Director, Commission nationale des parents francophones
What we're saying is that, of all the programs, half of those available in French come from the University of Ottawa, according to the study we consulted.
9:10 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal René Arseneault
So you mean for all universities and colleges outside Quebec.
Is that correct?
9:10 a.m.
Executive Director, Commission nationale des parents francophones
Yes, that's right.