The Canadian province of Ontario will invest about CAN$20 million in projects and initiatives to support students, parents, and teachers in French-language schools over the next twelve months from its new $330 million Priorities and Partnerships Fund (PPF), which funds high-impact initiatives that directly support students in the classroom.
“We continue to take action to protect what matters most to Franco-Ontarian families by putting them first,” said Lisa Thompson, minister of education. “Every Franco-Ontarian family in this province should feel supported when it comes to ensuring their child has access to a meaningful and modern education.”
PPF funding will support a wide range of projects and initiatives, including:
Assisting French-language school boards in the implementation of aménagement linguistique initiatives in French-language schools in Ontario, engaging students, and developing their sense of belonging to the French-language school system and their community.
Supporting six French-language school boards, with a view to building the capacity of administrators, principals, and teachers in data collecting, analysis, and identifying next steps.
Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) meetings organized regionally by French-language school boards to support SHSM programs in schools, share expertise, and encourage networking among school boards.
Funding for l’Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO) and Council of Trustees’ Associations (CTA) to promote the success of French-language students with special needs.
“Education for francophone students in Ontario is imperative, and I am proud of the work our government is doing to support students and families in our French-language education system,” said Sam Oosterhoff, parliamentary assistant to the minister of education.
There are twelve French-language school boards in Ontario, with 470 French-language schools; more than 108,000 students attend French-language schools, and the province is home to more than 620,000 francophones.
