I've tried to look at language issues in terms of opportunities rather than obligations. But certainly I'm very aware of the fact that when I graduated from high school, a second language was required for entry into university. It was possible to replace maths and sciences with languages. That was one way you could.... And I've occasionally thought that if that had not been the case, and maths had been a requirement for graduation, I would still be in high school, but that's another issue.
I'm not sure whether it's possible--and certainly it's outside my mandate--to go back to that era of reimposing obligations. It certainly would be interesting to know what the costs would be.
Before we got there, though...what strikes me is the absence of opportunity, totally aside from the obligations. I spoke to a parliamentary intern from Manitoba who was obviously interested in public life and who was a parliamentary intern at the Manitoba legislature. She told me that in addition to her work she was a jazz musician, and that when she was in grade 9 she had to choose between music and French. She said, and I agree, that she shouldn't have had to make that choice.