Mr. Commissioner, I taught in public schools in British Columbia for many years. I remember the process parents had to go through every year to enrol their children in French immersion classes. They had to be at the school gate very early in the morning, or even spend the night outside the school, in order to enrol their children and secure their precious place in the program.
I was able to enrol one of my daughters, who was educated in French and subsequently completed a core French program at Simon Fraser University. My second daughter, on the other hand, was 42nd on the list, when only 40 spaces were available. So she wasn't able to take advantage of this program.
Do you think this situation is acceptable? What should be done?
Education is a provincial responsibility, but the federal government has responsibilities for the learning of both official languages and the preservation of French outside Quebec.