Mr. Chair, members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today on a fundamental issue for the Francophonie in Canada: real equivalency between education for francophone students in minority situations and education for anglophone students in majority situations.

The Fédération nationale des conseils scolaires francophones represents 29 French language school boards across the country. These school boards ensure the education of nearly 180,000 students in our French-language schools, guaranteeing their right to a French-language education under section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Today, I'd like to draw your attention to a crucial problem that's holding back the full development of our school network: the chronic underfunding of French-language school boards. This underfunding directly affects the quality of education offered to students, creates inequalities in access to French-language instruction and prevents the development of educational services needed to strengthen our Francophone communities.

The underfunding of the school network translates into inadequate infrastructure, insufficient teaching resources and overcrowded classrooms. In 2021, the census revealed that there were over 593,000 children eligible for French-language education across Canada, but only one third of these children currently attend a French-language school. Why is this rate of enrolment so low? Because, while the supply exists, it's not large enough to meet the demand. There simply aren't enough French-language schools, and those that do exist lack the resources to offer education equivalent to that of English-language schools.

Underfunding has a direct impact on the quality of education we can offer. Our schools lack the resources to hire more qualified teachers, they struggle to adapt educational programs to the needs of our students, and, in many cases, they are forced to resort to temporary infrastructures such as portable classrooms in trailers, which are a short-term solution but detract from the children's school experience.

To remedy this situation, we propose a number of solutions that we believe would remove the barriers to access to quality French-language education in our minority communities.

First, school boards' management rights must be recognized. We are calling for French-language school boards to have genuine management rights, including in matters of student admission, infrastructure and funding. This also includes the right to have a truly consulted voice in provincial and federal decisions.

Second, provincial funding formulas, which do not take into account the specificities of French-language schools, must be adapted. We advocate a revision of these formulas so that French-language schools receive funding that reflects their real needs and the needs of their students.

Third, federal financial support must be increased. Although the federal government plays a key role under the Official Languages Act, the official languages in education program remains insufficient. We are calling for a substantial increase in funding to support francophone minority schools and for these funds to be paid directly to school boards, to cut out the middleman and simplify the process.

Fourth, schools must be built and modernized. We call for massive investment in the construction of French-language schools and the modernization of existing ones. The lack of infrastructure is a major barrier to families' acceptance of French-language schools.

Fifth, it is crucial to strengthen the entire educational continuum, from early childhood to post-secondary education. Access to French-language education must begin at an early age and continue throughout life. This requires better francization services, particularly in regions where demand is high, but supply remains insufficient.

Sixth, we have to counter the shortage of qualified staff in our schools, which is a major challenge for us. To attract and retain competent teachers, we propose incentives such as recognition of qualifications obtained abroad and facilitation of interprovincial mobility.

I will close by saying that the education of French-speaking children is much more than just a question of schooling. It is a question of linguistic and cultural vitality. By investing in French-language education, we are investing in the future of our communities, in inclusion, in diversity and, ultimately, in the prosperity of our country.

We at the Fédération nationale des conseils scolaires francophones firmly believe that the proposed solutions are not only possible, they are necessary to ensure an equivalent education for francophone students, commensurate with their rights guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. We are ready to work with all levels of government to ensure that this right is fully respected.

Thank you for your attention and your commitment to quality French-language education for all Canadians.