children playing

Official languages: Move forward or lose ground

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Author: 
Carrier, Michael A.
Format: 
government document
Publication Date: 
1 Sep 2011
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Excerpts from the report:

On April 16, 2010, the Early Learning and Childcare Act was adopted by the Legislative Assembly. The preamble of the Act clearly sets out the importance of high-quality childcare services in promoting the development of young children. In that regard, one of the innovative aspects of the new legislation is the obligation for private daycare operators to use the provincical curriculum framework (a curriculum was dveloped for each language community). However; the new legislation allows daycare facilities to use both curriucla, thus approving the existence of bilingual daycares, even though Francophone schools are struggling to francize an increasing number of students with a limited knowlege of French. We wonder how an Early Learning and Childcare Act can ignore such an issue and, especially, the priciple of duality of education.

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Like many other stakeholders, the Commissioner has recommended to the provincial government that it be consistent in its actions. If it truly wishes to give children, including Francophone children, every chance of success, it must fully implement the principle of duality in childcare servcices. In the Commissioner's view, this principle should be incorporated into the Early Learning and Childcare Act.

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