Canada is proud of its bilingual status and continues to invest to support education in both official languages. By working in collaboration with provinces and territories, the Government of Canada is committed to ensuring Canadians in minority language communities across the country can study, develop and live in their official language of their choice.
Today, the Honourable Rachel Bendayan, Minister of Official Languages and Associate Minister of Public Safety, announced the ratification of the new Protocol for Agreements for Minority-Language Education and Second-Language Instruction for the period from 2024 to 2028.
As part of this collaboration agreement, the federal government is investing more than $1.4 billion to support minority-language education and second-language instruction. The Protocol also includes funds dedicated to the recruitment and retention of teachers and to post-secondary education in the minority language.
Put together, this agreement will strengthen official-language minority communities and make second-language instruction more accessible across the country.
The Protocol breakdown is as follows:
- Minority-language education - $707,204,968
- Second-language instruction - $578,368,460
- Post-secondary education in the minority language - $104,000,000
- Recruitment and retention of teachers (in French-language minority schools and French immersion and second-language programs) - $50,970,000
This investment responds to the needs and priorities expressed by stakeholders in the field of minority-language education. It also fulfills the commitments set out in An Act for the Substantive Equality of Canada's Official Languages, including the commitment to advance opportunities for members of English- and French-speaking minority communities to pursue quality learning in their own language throughout their lives.
The Protocol establishes the principles of collaboration between the Government of Canada and provincial and territorial governments and provides a framework for bilateral agreements. Canadian Heritage has begun the process of negotiating bilateral agreements with the provincial and territorial governments.
