ONE French-language education system in Ontario

ACÉPO believes that Ontario needs only one publicly-funded French-language education system. The future of the entire Francophone community depends upon the delivery of French-language education from Kindergarten to post-secondary education. We want one strong and united Francophone community.

In order to thrive, our community needs a public education system that is accessible, equitable, and funded adequately for the challenges it faces. It will be remembered that Ontario’s Francophones make up an official language minority and, to ensure that Francophones made up close to 5% of the province’s population, it was necessary to expand the definition of what it means to be a Francophone. Our community will thrive if it is united and strong, drawing on the participation and contribution of the greatest possible number of citizens of every background, credence, and belief.

Education is an essential means of creating community and forging strong community ties. Unfortunately, many Francophones still do not choose French-language education for their children. Sometimes, when young Francophones do not have direct access to a French-language school, their parents enrol them in an English-language school or in a school in the English-language system that has an immersion program. Sometimes, students switch schools when the services their French-language school offers do not measure up to the services offered by the English-language school. When this happens, the fabric of the entire Franco-Ontarian community is weakened.

Together, we can offer an attractive system of education with course offerings that rival those in the English-language education system. Together, we can offer French-language schools everywhere in Ontario. Together, we have a wider reach, a stronger voice, and a more attentive audience. In Ontario, one of the missions of French-language education is a strong culture and community. Together, we can create a sustainable, vital, and ever-expanding Francophone community in Ontario.