Good day, everyone.
On behalf of the Association canadienne d'éducation de langue française, of which I am the president, I want to thank you for having us. My name is Marcel Larocque and, naturally, I salute my executive director, Marie‑Hélène Tanguay, who will no doubt be of great help to me during the question period.
Our pan-Canadian network informs, trains and equips stakeholders in francophone education in every province and territory to foster identity building, meaning how individuals recognize themselves and act as members of a linguistic and cultural community.
The Association canadienne d'éducation de langue française helps strengthen the francophone minority-language education continuum, not only through its training programs and events, where participants at different stages of the continuum interact to build bridges between them, but also through the publication of the 15th issue of our booklet Comprendre la construction identitaire, entitled “Pour un continuum solide”. This booklet was developed with the members of a tripartite committee comprising representatives of the federal, provincial, and territorial governments, as well as representatives from the community and academic sectors with an interest in and a commitment to education. This booklet demonstrates that the continuum is not linear.
People say a picture is worth a thousand words, so allow me to draw an analogy. Let me describe the education continuum in minority-language communities to you as a house. The foundation represents the family, where individuals are first exposed to French. It's where our relationship with the language, culture and community begins. The front door represents early childhood. It opens onto the educational adventure in French and must be welcoming and solid so children can cross the threshold with confidence. The walls represent elementary and secondary schools. They provide structure and enrich the francophone experience by offering safe spaces conducive to rich and varied learning experiences. The roof represents continuing and post-secondary education. It protects, but above all, it opens onto the future so that the francophone identity can endure and thrive into adulthood. The windows represent informal and non-formal learning. They let in the fresh air of experiences acquired outside formal education. The land symbolizes the community, an essential space for building and supporting the house.
To ensure its long-term stability, the house needs a binding agent; in other words, it needs to be part of a complete ecosystem. This is where identity building comes in. The process is unique to each individual and is strongly influenced by their environment. This process is at the heart of the mission of French-language institutions in minority communities. Not only do they need to ensure the educational success of children and students, but they also have a responsibility to enable them to give French and francophone culture a true place in their lives. In this way, the house becomes a place that is alive, full of meaning and pride.
Identity building is not an isolated activity or a one-off project. It's an educational intention at every stage in the continuum. It gives meaning to learning, supports success and nourishes linguistic and cultural vitality. When individuals understand that learning to speak French allows them to take part in a history, a community and a collective future, the right based on section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms becomes a lived reality.
For a continuum to be vibrant and cohesive, several winning conditions are required. In particular, high-quality educational services are needed from early childhood onwards, within a cultural framework that fosters francophone identity. We also need French-language schools that fully embrace their identity mission by offering stimulating programs, a sense of belonging, and francophone role models. It also requires post-secondary institutions that are sensitive to the minority reality and offer initial training tailored to the unique needs of the communities. All stakeholders must have a shared vision and opportunities for cross-sector collaboration to build bridges. It is also essential to have resources adapted to the minority reality to promote identity building among children and students. Finally, above all, we need committed individuals, namely educational staff, families, administrators and community partners. The African proverb “It takes a village to raise a child” takes on its full meaning here.
The education continuum is not just a series of stages. It's a lifelong journey in French where we put identity building at the heart of our behaviour. We can have schools, services, and programs, but if francophone identity does not take root, we risk failing to achieve the goal of ensuring the vitality and sustainability of francophone communities in Canada.