No future without access to Postsecondary Education: The Commissioner urges the government to act

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TORONTO, June 27, 2012 – The French Language Services Commissioner is urging the Government of Ontario to the pressing need to develop and implement concrete, decisive action to correct the very low French-language postsecondary education access rates (0% to 3%) in Central-Southwestern Ontario.

The Commissioner presents the findings of his investigation in a report entitled The State of French-language Postsecondary Education in Central-Southwestern Ontario: No Access, No Future, published today.

The report examines the limited options, long distances and fragile autonomy of some institutions, which have a negative effect on recruitment and retention, resulting in a loss for the Franco-Ontarian community. The Commissioner recommends that the government establish a new, independent, publicly accountable structure to determine both needs and delivery of French-language postsecondary education programs and services in Central-Southwestern Ontario, particularly in the Greater Toronto Area.

QUOTES

“With the rapid growth of Central-Southwestern Ontario’s Francophone population, it is more critical than ever to remedy the insufficient number of colleges and universities in that region that offer French-language programs and services,” said the Commissioner.

“These deficiencies have the effect of pulling the rug out from under elementary and secondary students, newcomers and Francophiles who want to pursue a postsecondary education in French. The same could be said of the self-serving interest of the government in maintaining and improving its capacity to provide the public with quality French-language services.”

QUICK FACTS

  • According to the 2006 Census, there are 201,630 Francophones in Central-Southwestern Ontario, more than one third of the province’s total Francophone population.
  • The Francophone community of Central-Southwestern Ontario has a higher growth rate than any other Francophone community in the province.
  • Yet the French-language postsecondary education access rate ranges from 0% to just 3% in Central-Southwestern Ontario, compared with the programs offered in English in the same region.
  • Only five postsecondary institutions in Central-Southwestern Ontario offer some French-language programs.

LEARN MORE

You can view the report on The State of French-language Postsecondary Education in Central-Southwestern Ontario at www.flsc.gov.on.ca, in the “Publications” section.

The Office of the French Language Services Commissioner works to ensure active, integrated delivery of French-language services in support of the development of the Francophone community and Ontarian society.

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Simon Côté, Public Relations and Communications Officer
Office of the French Language Services Commissioner
Phone: (416) 314-8247 ou 1-866-246-5262 (toll free)
E-mail: communications.flscCSF@ontario.ca