Ministers of Education Announce Important Training Tool for French-Language Teachers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Toronto, December 19, 2003 -- The Council of Ministers of Education, Canada today released a teacher's resource kit designed for kindergarten to grade 2 teachers in French-language schools outside Quebec.  This tool will enable teachers to help students living in francophone communities in minority areas to grow and develop in a flourishing academic, social, and cultural environment.

“This kit will be an extremely valuable tool for teachers in francophone schools,” said the Honourable Peter Bjornson, Manitoba Minister of Education.  “It responds to an urgent need expressed by French-language educators.”  Manitoba took the lead in the consortium of provinces and territories that produced the kit.

Developed by a team representing several disciplines, the multi-media kit includes a CD-ROM, a printed document, and a fictional journal of a teacher's school year.  All the components of the kit enable teachers to sensitize or resensitize young students to their mother tongue and culture.  This new kit also encourages lifelong learning in teachers, since it support professional growth based on experience, sharing, and reflection.

Consultations were held at key points in the kit's development with parents, the education community, and researchers in faculties of education.  Funding for the project was provided by the participating provinces and territories and by the Department of Canadian Heritage.

“CMEC is a longstanding advocate for the promotion of the official languages in education,” said the Honourable Pierre Reid, Quebec's Minister of Education, who is Chair of CMEC.  “My colleagues and I are very pleased that CMEC is again making a significant contribution to French-language education, and we intend to continue our work in this area.”

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
Pierre Paul Sass, CMEC
Tel.:  (416) 962-8100, ext. 233
E-mail:  pp.sass@cmec.ca
Web site:  www.cmec.ca