Mr. Chair, committee members, the Fédération des parents francophones de la Colombie-Britannique represents the parents of some 20,000 children who are entitled to French-language education in the province. It has been intervening in the matter of Francophone education for nearly 30 years. Over the years, it has called for and taken part in the establishment of a high-quality Francophone education system accessible across British Columbia. Its efforts have resulted in the establishment of the Conseil Scolaire Francophone de la Colombie-Britannique, which is responsible for governing and managing the province's Francophone education system.
Another issue closely related to education and on which the Fédération des parents francophones has been working for some 12 years is early childhood services. Research clearly shows that, starting in early childhood, intervention is required to give children the best possible chance to develop to their full potential and to be well prepared to enter school. As a result, it is by intervening in early childhood that we can increase the rate of transmission of the French language to children with one Francophone parent. According to Statistics Canada's 2001 census data, the transmission rate was only 24% for children zero to four years of age.
The federation thus began its development work in this area with the primary objective of recruiting and francizing students for the Francophone schools. However, it was not until 1996, when the school board was established, that these efforts began to produce results, with the introduction of junior kindergarten classes and child care centres in a few Francophone schools. However, the lack of resources and the inertia of various stakeholders in this issue did not really make it possible to develop access to a range of early childhood services in French. However, the Action Plan for Official Languages, which was adopted in 2003, altered the situation. Early childhood was included among the plan's priorities, and a portion of the funding necessary to move it forward was available.
That enabled the Fédération des parents francophones de la Colombie-Britannique and its early childhood partners to develop more cohesive action and to establish a solid foundation. Results were not slow in coming: five junior kindergarten and child care services were added in three years. The Collège Éducacentre now offers an early childhood education diploma program; RésoSanté Colombie-Britannique is starting to prepare the way to offer its health services in French; the Société de développement économique offers start-up support for family child care services; and the Conseil Scolaire Francophone has included the provision of early childhood services in its major orientations. It is also finalizing a service agreement with the Fédération des parents francophones to support it in implementing this orientation.
It is certain that not all these results are directly related to the Action Plan for Official Languages, but the plan has clearly played an essential role in creating considerable momentum on the issue. All the partners are now at the table and ready to act, and the early childhood action plan that they have developed together shows the path that must be taken. It must absolutely be ensured that the resources are available to fund its implementation.
That is why the federal government must now actively maintain its involvement with the province's Francophone communities which are still trying to accept the cancellation of the Canada-British Columbia agreement in principle on learning and child care. The various stakeholders must have access to the necessary resources to continue building on a solid foundation. If we want to ensure the development and vitality of the Francophone community in British Columbia, we must take action at the grassroots level. We must not only continue recruiting and preparing children to enter Francophone schools, we must also guarantee them and their families access to a range of French-language services covering all their needs. And a great deal remains to be done.
The Francophone schools currently serve only 25% of their potential clientele. The junior kindergartens and child care centres can only accommodate 400 children out of a Francophone population of 4,000. There are few or no health service programs. Assimilation continues to take three out of every four children before they enter kindergarten. For Francophone parents, living west of the Rockies should not result in the linguistic assimilation of their children. Canada's linguistic duality must be extended and experienced daily across the country.
The Fédération des parents francophones de la Colombie-Britannique recognizes the essential role that the federal government must play in achieving that duality and reiterates its support for the Action Plan for Official Languages.
Thank you very much.