iNFO-PARENTS COLOMBIE-GRITANNIOUE SY MARS 2000

PRESIDENT STEPHANE
DROLET

Lately, with the arrival of the new millennium, came a
new decision from the Supreme Court of Canada, on an
issue relating to section 23 of the Canadian Charter of
Rights and Freedoms. Indeed, last January 13, the Su-
preme Court has once again recognized the rights of
linguistic minorities to an education of equal quality to
the one offered the majority. By its decision in
Francophone parents of Summerside vs the Government
of Prince Edward Island the Court gives additional par-
ticulars about the nature of the rights given by section
23 and thus help the efforts of Francophones through-
out the land.

Here are some significant passages: “real equality de-
mands that official languages minorities are treated dif-
ferently, if necessary, following their situations and spe-
cific needs so as to assure them an education level
equivalent to the one given the majority of official lan-
guage”; quite clear, thank you...”even though the (edu-
cation) minister is responsible for formulating the policy
applicable to educational matter his discretionary power
is subject to the Charter, including whatever has to do
with the remedial character of section 23,the specific
needs of the linguistic minority, and the exclusive right
of the representatives of the minority to manage instruc-
tion and minority educational establishments”. | would
encourage you to read that Supreme Court decision on
the Web.

Still in January, and right after the publication of the Su-
preme Court of Canada decision, another document was
filed, i.e. the “Efficiency Review Team” report. This team
had been set up by the Education minister after the
Conseil scolaire francophone (CSF), filed a financial re-
port in deficit of $1.3 million for the 1998-99 school year.
The ministerial team analyzed the CSF financial situa-
tion and wrote a report containing 33 recommendations
involving several aspects. Those recommendations are
the topic of an article you will find further on_ in this
newsletter.

After reading the report and the CSF’s response, the
board of directors of the Fédération des parents met
the Conseil scolaire francophone’s board of directors in
order to update this file. The FRF.C.B. has expressed
its concerns about CSF’s budget reductions, and they
were well received by the members of the board. Dur-
ing that very same meeting, the board of directors of
the Fédération des parents has asked that a liaison com-

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mittee be set up in order for information to better circulate
between parents and the CSF. The CSF has accepted
that suggestion and a new committee was set up: The
Comité de liaison CSF-F.PF.C.B. (liaison committee) will
be composed of each president, a member of each of the
boards of directors, as well as the executive directors of
each organization, for a total of six people. The committee’s
mandate will be defined in more details at the first meet-

ing.

Thus it is on a positive note that the new year has started,
with the Supreme Court decision, but a negative point was
introduced by the deficit of the CSF, deficit caused for the
most part by the Education minister's refusal to recognize
the special needs of a Francophone education system in
B.C. Recent financial difficulties of the CSF, as well as the
problems posed by the establishment of homogeneous
schools, mostly in the Vancouver area, show that a lot re-
mains to be done in order for the Francophone educa-
tional system to be firmly established in British Columbia

Last month events are very unfortunate and lead us to
question the merits to start on a judicial claim in case the
political path does not give results. Francophone parents
of British Columbia have rights as far as their children’s
education is concerned, and the province will one day have
no choice but to recognize them. The provincial govern-
ment must understand that those rights are protected by
the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which
constitutes the supreme law of our land, and that it must
undertake to respect it.

Let me end by inviting you to promote the Francophone
school or program in your area. It is through everyone’s
efforts that we will be able to recruit the full contingent of
Francophone students in our schools. Increase in the num-
ber of students constitutes a factor, which greatly influ-
ences the quality of education offered, as it determines
the financing of the CSF. Continue your beautiful work.
Till we meet...

Stéphane Drolet.

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