Official Languages Committee on April 18th, 2024

[Gillian Anderson]

Any effort to retain teachers in our schools would be most welcome.

I have found that teachers are resigning from our schools because there's a high level of competition between school boards. If we compare English‑language school boards with French‑language school boards, we can see that it almost always pays more to work for an English‑language school. On top of this, these schools offer more career paths and advancement opportunities.

Continuing to teach in a French‑language school is a good thing if you care deeply about the future of the community and the language. However, at the end of the day, in the current economic situation, money is a strong motivator. We often lose teachers who move to English‑language school boards because they offer higher pay. That's the challenge we have to face.

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB]

In previous committee meetings, representatives of post-secondary institutions have emphasized that stable and adequate funding is essential to their work.

As the head of the Commission nationale des parents francophones in Alberta, do you agree with this clear recommendation from francophone institutions?

Do you think such funding could help solve the labour shortage problems, in particular?

[Gillian Anderson]

I have every confidence that it can. The more money that goes into our post-secondary institutions, the better it will be for our young people. I do a lot of work in the community. When I ask francophones if they know that there are 22 Canadian francophone post-secondary institutions outside Quebec, they're surprised. They can't name more than two.

More money should be invested so that we can promote existing programs and add new ones. The goal is to make these institutions more attractive. Guidance counsellors would be in a better position to inform young people about existing institutions and encourage them to continue their studies in French.

We are working very hard to keep our children in a francophone program. I still have to fight for my child to continue his studies in French. That's what he wants too, but I don't have any options for him. It's very sad.

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB]

Thank you for your testimony, Ms. Anderson. I think we're all moved by your comments.

Mr. Thériault, thank you very much for your testimony. Your organization does essential work to raise awareness of the challenges faced by young francophones.

I also know how important a number of the programs you offered in the past were. I'm thinking in particular of the government internship program for francophones. The fact that the program no longer exists concerns me a great deal.

We are talking here about ways to encourage young people to work and live in French.

What is the impact of the lack of government internships in French on francophone students in Canada?

How does this shortage affect their entry into the job market and the vitality of francophone communities across the country?

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

That's an excellent question, Ms. Ashton, but you are 25 seconds over your time. All members of the committee seem a bit unruly today.

Mr. Thériault, you may have an opportunity to answer the question later.

We will now begin a second round of questions. I'm going to ask everyone to stick to their speaking time so that more members can ask questions. Please watch the clock.

Mr. Dalton, you have the floor for five minutes.

[Marc Dalton, Conservative, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC]

Mr. Thériault and Ms. Anderson, thank you very much for your comments. Your testimony is very important to us.

It's good to hear your voices. If you don't tell us about the challenges you face, we won't be able to find solutions.

Ms. Anderson, I'm from British Columbia. Could you tell us more about the Commission nationale des parents francophones, in Alberta and elsewhere?

[Gillian Anderson]

Our organization has members from every province and territory in Canada. These members represent their local francophone parents. We have a representative from British Columbia, who is the treasurer of the CNPF executive.

Everybody shares stories and talks about what's going on where they live, and I can assure you that the same thing is happening across the country. The only province that is not represented in our organization is Quebec, since we represent francophone parents in minority language communities.

[Marc Dalton, Conservative, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC]

Thank you.

I looked online and found out that there were four francophone school boards in Alberta.

How are they funded? Is it primarily provincial funding with a small contribution from the federal government?

[Gillian Anderson]

I don't know exactly how the funding is divided up between the federal and provincial governments, but the four francophone school boards in Alberta are funded like the anglophone school boards.

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS]

They are essentially funded by the provincial government.

[Gillian Anderson]

Yes, that's right.

[Marc Dalton, Conservative, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC]

Okay.

I'm a teacher by trade, having taught high school and elementary school. I'm a little surprised to hear you say that only a quarter of the resources are intended for francophone students. It's a little discouraging.

Are you talking mainly about francophone school boards, or are you also referring to public schools that offer immersion programs?

[Gillian Anderson]

I'm talking about our French-language school back home. For example, a guidance counsellor comes in once a week. The school board has five high schools, so she spends one day a week in each of the schools.

Since the funding comes mainly from the province, the school boards are responsible for identifying needs and making the necessary investments to meet them. However, if they don't have enough money to meet all the needs, it's a challenge for them.

Francophone minorities face a number of challenges wherever we are, especially in Alberta and British Columbia. One is that we don't have enough money to get the resources we need.

[Marc Dalton, Conservative, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC]

I know that in British Columbia, for example, they provide additional special grants based on the specific needs of students.

What you're saying is that in Alberta, there is no additional funding to meet the needs.

Is that correct?

[Gillian Anderson]

The funding works the same way. However, with the money for francophone programs, we have to do twice as much, as compared with anglophone programs.

[Marc Dalton, Conservative, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC]

You also represent parents and families. Can you tell us more about the frustrations of francophone and Francophile parents who still want their children to be raised in a French-speaking environment and enrol them in immersion programs? What are the challenges they face?

[Gillian Anderson]

I am one of those parents myself. My husband is an anglophone. He doesn't speak a word of French. We've been together for 20 years, so he doesn't exactly pick up French quickly.

As a result, the entire task of raising our children in French in a minority setting rests on my shoulders. It's not always easy. I have a life partner, but when it comes to educating our children in French and exposing them to francophone culture, I am all alone.

[Marc Dalton, Conservative, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

You have 30 seconds.

[Marc Dalton, Conservative, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC]

Okay.

Mr. Thériault, the range of programs institutions offer is based on their enrolment, and they depend on those students to fund their programs. However, students don't enrol if there aren't enough programs. It's like the chicken and the egg.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

You have five seconds left.

[Marc Dalton, Conservative, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC]

Do you have a solution to propose, in five seconds?

[Voices]

Oh, oh!

[Simon Thériault]

The scholarship program could be a solution, but it's mainly a matter of adequately funding our institutions.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Thank you, Mr. Thériault. Sorry, but our usually excellent committee members are a bit unruly today.