Politique d’aménagement linguistique de l’Ontario – A Policy for Ontario’s French-Language Schools and Francophone Community

Let’s look back…

The aménagement linguistique policy (PAL), a policy for Ontario’s primary and secondary French-language schools, was introduced in 2004. The purpose of this policy is to respond to the specific needs of French-language communities in Ontario, which evolve in a minority context, and their educational institutions.

What was the purpose of this policy?

• The aménagement linguistique policy marked the beginning of a dialogue among school boards, schools, individual Francophones, and groups of Francophones on the development and implementation of action plans to meet the linguistic, educational, and cultural needs of young people and their families’ expectations.
• The province’s aménagement linguistique policy is flexible enough to allow school boards to take into account changing circumstances and the incredible linguistic and cultural diversity of this province.
• Language is the element that unites all members of Ontario’s diverse French-speaking community.
• The future of these communities is being protected today by the parents who have entrusted the education of their children to a French-language school and by the commitment of young people who have decided to define their identity through their Francophone heritage. 

With this policy, the Ministry of Education ensured the correct application of the law on Minority Language Educational Rights in accordance with article 23 of the Canadian Charter of rights and freedoms.

In a future post, I will explain all the results of the PAL until now.

Marie