Mange iy INFO-PARENTS ee RY os THE TEN MAIN ADVANTAGES _ 6] 1.) Grouping together the school boards BEFORE The nine nine existing school boards who managed francophone schools were isolated. They had a minimum level of concertation regarding francophone schools. AFTER The three francophone school boards who manage the francophone schools can more easily concert with each other, consult each other and play a more active role. 2.) Representativeness BEFORE “Francophonie” as a group had no representation on school boards. AFTER All trustees who have a seat on the francophone school board of their district are elected by parents whose children are enroled in French schools. Gradually all francophones will be able to vote when trustees elections are called. 3.) Process of decision taking BEFORE The decisions taken by school trustees regarding education in French could have been influenced by external factors, such as ... their effect on English programs; ... their effect on Immersion programs; ... anglophone voters opinion. AFTER When the francophone trustees will take a decision some factors will weight more, such as: - the understanding of francophone pupils education special needs; - the concern for their well-being; - francophone voters opinion. 4.) Use of facilities BEFORE Decision making was in anglophones’ hands who are more often sensitive to the majority needs. AFTER All decisions are taken by francophones according to the needs of the francophone community and pupils. 5) Promotion of the program BEFORE The responsibility to promote francophone school was left to parents committees. AFTER The promotion of the program is one of the main responsibilities of the francophone school board. 6.) Fundings allowance BEFORE It was sometimes difficult to know if the school received and used all subsidies it was entitled to because the school board received these subsidies. The budgetary priorities were not necessarily the same as francophones’ priorities. AFTER The allocation of funds will be made by francophones. Available funding will be collected and allocated to French education. @ Cultural and linguistic policy BEFORE There was no cultural and linguistic official policy promulgated by the Minister. The policy that prevailed had usually been worked out by teachers and school principals without a formal and continuous support of anglophone school boards. AFTER School boards can establish clear policies on the cultural and linguistic side of school life with parents and school principals support. Everyone will have the opportunity to be part of the elaboration and the application of these policies. @ Child care Services BEFORE The anglophone majority does not preceive child care services as anecessary step toward the linguistic development of the child. AFTER For francophones, child care services is an important element for recruiting, ACCUEIL and Frenchifying. These considerations can bring the francophone trustees to take decisions different to those of anglophone trustees. 9] Parents participation BEFORE On top of their participation in decision taking, parents organized fund raising campaigns and pressure on politicians through their parents committees. Even if they had a right to vote, the probability of their electing a francophone trustee was extremely weak. AFTER They still participate to parents committees activities, vote to elect the school trustees of their choice et may themselves be candidate to seat on the school board. Their opinion may have more weight when all school trustees are francophones. The parents participation will be different. 40 Quality of services BEFORE As specified by the Supreme Court in 1990 “linguistic minorities cannot be certain that the majority will take into account all their linguistic and cultural preoccupations’. Those in authority often put forward the small number of francophone pupils to justify the shortage of services offered. AFTER With the set up of their own school boards, francophones will be in a better position to answer their children educational needs and ascertain that they receive an education of quality which is part of entering ina strategy of modernity. Extract from: Le Chainon, June 1994.