A busy back to school and work
For many people, September means back to school and back to work. We have been hearing a lot of back-to-school talk for a few days now, as elementary and high school students return to the classroom. At the same time, parents are getting back into the swing of things at work after a few weeks’ vacation or just a nice long Labour Day weekend.
I would like to take the opportunity the new school year offers to note a few important news items about things that have happened since the end of the school year last June. First, the Office of the French Language Services Commissioner published a follow-up on the June 2011 report on education. In that follow-up report, we cited the importance of collaboration between French-language and English-language boards in order to expand the facilities available for French-language schools in need of space. Admissions will continue to grow, and in the Beaches neighbourhood of Toronto the need has become pressing. Secondary schools that are already offering a lot to the growing population of Toronto are doing an excellent job, but they are starting to experience space shortages at an alarming rate. In addition to the space shortage, there is the question of distance, since many students are spending hours getting to school and then back home, just to have access to an education in French. Let’s hope this follow-up will get some positive responses so that access to education in French improves in the eastern part of Greater Toronto.
On August 8, after several months of waiting and uncertainty about the future of the Centre Jules-Léger, the Government announced that it was keeping the Centre open – very good news for the students who are deaf or hard of hearing, are blind or have learning difficulties who attend or will attend this centre of excellence in special education. There were many happy and relieved messages sent on the day the announcement was made. In addition to confirming that the Centre would be continuing to operate (along with all the demonstration schools and the provincial schools), the Government will be pursuing “legislative changes to transfer the governance structure of Centre Jules-Léger to the 12 French-language school boards to better support French-language students”. I am also very pleased with this news, since this was a recommendation made in my investigation report on the Centre Jules-Léger. I must also recognize the hard work done by a number of parents and members of the community who travelled to the consultations and voiced the importance of keeping the school open and keeping it under Francophone governance.
A lot of things are happening on the postsecondary side as well. A few days ago, several funding announcements were made for new projects that will help postsecondary institutions make their mark in their communities and in other institutions at the national and international levels.
Parliament has also got back to work. After a Throne speech that was, on the surface at least, disappointing for Francophones, I take the opportunity to remind my latest annual report: FLSC 2.0, the most important report published by the Office of the Commissioner since it was established. The report shows that our French Language Services Act is outdated and needs to be redesigned, specifically to include passages about our technological era and revisions to the various positions created by the Act. The world in 1986 and the world today are completely different places, and for that reason I believe that our politicians really need to rethink the Act to update it and make it clearer and more complete. That means embarking on an enormous project, but it has to be done, and it needs to be done well! This is particularly important since on November 18 of this year we will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of the French Language Services Act – 30 years already, and Francophones have seen tremendous benefits when it comes to government service, but there is still more it could do.
Along the same line, we have to think about the question of active offer. That was another of my most popular reports, and is very closely connected with the FLSC 2.0 Annual Report. We have to offer Francophones services in French, but it has to be clear that those services are offered. The way that people are going to understand that service in French is actually offered is by seeing, hearing and recognizing it being done. If those markers are not there, people may be too embarrassed to request services, or may not know they are able to do so. That amounts to pointing people toward a language other than their own, and it can cause misunderstandings and complications in processing their requests. We have to work hard to make sure that people get more than just “Hello, Bonjour”, and receive service in French once they get through triage or reception at the location that provides a service.
An example I often use is a person in their own job, particularly in customer service jobs (or other positions where there is direct contact with the public). When that individual offers a service, do they do it in French and English, or only in English? If they offer it in both languages, out of respect for the other person, then why not respect that person when the person requests a service as well? These questions prompt some thought, because while the intent to offer services in French is there, the services are of lower quality than they are in the majority language. Under the Act, services should be offered equally and equitably.
On another note, I am very pleased to be back myself. Our team has grown and they are motivated! I am eager to introduce them to you in an upcoming post. You will also have a chance to meet them at one of the various events all around the province where the Office of the French Language Services Commissioner will be present. This fall is a very busy time for us, since we are working on a plan that will give the Office of the French Language Services Commissioner greater visibility and make us even more accessible to people, and enable us to continue to inform the public about their rights and the services they are entitled to.
So take advantage of the fact that the Office of the Commissioner has more resources to serve you, and send us your complaints and information requests.