CMEC Releases the Pan-Canadian Interim Report on Official Languages in Education
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Toronto, January 20, 2009 — The Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) released today the Pan-Canadian Interim Report on Official Languages in Education. Compiled jointly by the provinces and territories through CMEC, and funded by the Government of Canada, the report is for the public and describes the achievement of outcomes called for in the provincial/territorial action plans for official languages in education between 2005-06 and 2006-07.
“Official languages in education are key priorities for all ministers of education, as put forward in our joint declaration Learn Canada 2020,” said the Honourable Kelly Lamrock, Chair of CMEC and Minister of Education for New Brunswick. “The Interim Report illustrates in detail our efforts to improve the quality of minority-language education and second- language instruction," added the minister.
The report also highlights the historical cooperation of provincial/territorial governments and the federal government in an area of provincial/territorial jurisdiction. Since 1983, the federal government has provided, through the Protocol for Agreements for Minority-Language Education and Second-Language Instruction, contributions to the costs incurred by provinces and territories in the delivery of minority-language education and second-language instruction. The protocol for 2005–06 to 2008–09 commits the Department of Canadian Heritage to providing $1.02 billion in funding to provinces and territories over four years.
The protocol also commits each province and territory to negotiating with the federal government a separate cost-shared bilateral agreement, under which each province and territory has developed a multi-year action plan for 2005–06 to 2008–09.
The report, the first of two reports called for under the Protocol for 2005–06 to 2008–09, provides an update on the action plans and includes for each province and territory
- a description of the achievement of action-plan outcomes for minority-language education and for second-language instruction, at all levels, in 2005-06 and 2006-07
- tables indicating each jurisdiction's contribution and the federal government's contributions to minority-language education and second-language instruction in 2005–06 and 2006–07
“For more than 40 years, the Government of Canada has worked with the provinces and territories to advance linguistic duality education while respecting their jurisdiction. Today, for the first time, we are taking a common approach to let Canadians know about the advances in official languages education,” said the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages. “In addition to highlighting interesting initiatives, this important information illustrates the variety of ways we can achieve our shared educational ideals.” said Minister Moore.
The report is available online.
CMEC is an intergovernmental body composed of the ministers responsible for elementary-secondary and advanced education from the provinces and territories. Through CMEC, ministers share information and undertake projects in areas of mutual interest and concern.
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Information
Tamara Davis
Tel.: (416) 962-8100, ext. 241
E-mail : t.davis@cmec.ca
Web site: www.cmec.ca
Deirdra McCracken Directrice des communications
Cabinet du ministre du Patrimoine canadien et des Langues officielles
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deirdra.mccracken@pch.gc.ca
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