Mr. Chair, in fact, we have concluded agreements with all 13 provinces and territories. The agreements provide for federal investments of over $1 billion over four years. Of course, these agreements also generate provincial and territorial investments equal to or greater than our investment.
Both levels of government agreed on the following priority areas to address minority education challenges: French school promotion, student recruitment and retention, teaching resources development, distance training, and improved access to post-secondary education.
We also agreed to work together to improve second language teaching. More specifically, measures will be brought in to support relaunching immersion, to develop innovative teaching methods and to encourage second official-language learning at the post-secondary level.
Additionally, budget 2007 sets aside $15 million a year for the next two years for official language minority communities. This money will give these communities greater opportunities to live their lives in their mother tongue.
Targeted activities include supporting community centres, cultural and extracurricular activities, and other activities related to the promotion of linguistic duality, with a particular focus on youth.