The past weeks have brought good news about Francophone education in British Columbia. We learned that the Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique (CSF) had purchased land for the opening of a new Francophone school in Burnaby; and that the provincial government introduced legislation to amend the School Act to better meet the needs of the Francophone community. These two very positive developments stem directly from the legal case led by the Fédération des parents and the CSF from 2010 to 2020, which resulted in a very favourable judgment by the Supreme Court of Canada. And it’s our children who will benefit!
On April 26, the Government of British Columbia introduced a new bill that would make substantial amendments to the province's School Act to give it more tools to implement section 23, particularly where required by the Supreme Court of Canada in its judgment rendered on June 12, 2020. The proposed legislative amendments will allow for a better implementation of the CSF's property plan. Bill 22 would help with better management of school property by the Ministry of Education and Child Care (note that this ministry has recently changed its name, and now includes daycare and other areas related to early childhood), making negotiations between the CSF and its Anglophone partners much fairer and more focused on the public interest.
Because the bill is already before committee, it’s likely that it will be passed soon. The Fédération des parents is urging Victoria to adopt it as soon as possible, as this measure would give a boost to several communities in the province who are quite eager to finally be able to access real equivalence in French-language education.
The Fédération des parents also welcomes the government's suggestion to create a “capital projects office,” similar to what has existed for some time in Surrey at School District #36, but which would be dedicated to the CSF. This would accelerate the decision-making process and the implementation of the CSF’s school improvement and construction projects.
As for the Burnaby news, we recall that it’s one of many communities targeted by the legal case, and that the parents there have been actively calling for a school in this area for more than 10 years. Currently, parents eligible for French-language education who live in this municipality have no choice but to send their children either to the école Anne-Hébert or école Norval-Morrisseau in Vancouver, if they live west of Sperling Avenue, or to the école des Pionniers-de-Maillardville in Port Coquitlam, if they live east of Sperling Avenue. These options result in very long morning and evening bus trips for many students which, from a legal and practical point of view, doesn’t correspond to an education equivalent to that enjoyed by their peers who attend English-language and immersion schools. The Fédération des parents is therefore very pleased with this progress.
Nevertheless, Francophone children in Burnaby are still a long way from the day when they can learn in their own school. The ministry and the CSF must now collaborate and plan together for the opening of this future school. Among the aspects still to be determined: will the school currently on the site in question (Duthie-Union) be demolished to make way for a new school building, or will it be renovated instead? The CSF has indicated that the opening of the Burnaby Francophone school will not be able to take place for several years. Still, this announcement is certainly great news for parents and the community in this area!
Let’s hope that, in the wake of this encouraging news for French-language education in our province, several other advances will be made in the coming months, which we’ll be sure to share with you!
