First, section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms provides for a right to education in the language of the French linguistic minority. During your study, you have heard witnesses say that education is a provincial jurisdiction. Nothing in the charter actually says that section 23 does not apply at the federal level.
However, by adopting the latest amendments to the Official Languages Act in June 2023, Parliament imposed obligations on the federal government with respect to education in the minority language. It also imposed an obligation on it to take positive measures in that regard. Therefore, the federal government must act accordingly.
