Change takes time
At least three generations needed to reverse a strong trend towards the assimilation of Francophones into minority settings
We have read, like many other Islanders, a guest opinion (Editors note: "French culture kept artificially alive", The Guardian, July 3, Page A11) published on the Opinion Page of an Englishlanguage media on the Island that we prefer not to name.
The letter is written by a non-resident of the Island, who worked for three months at École La-Belle Cloche. The author, Claude Forest, seeks to defend his thesis that the Prince Edward Island Acadian/Francophone community has been maintained artificially. We, therefore, believe that it is important to bring certain nuances to light.
First, the CSLF (French language school board) is indeed 30 years old, but four of the six regions it serves have had a school for less than 20 years. Education in French in a region like Souris was simply not possible before this time. It is thanks to the hard work and determination of the members of this beautiful community that they were finally able to educate their children in French.
In many cases, we talk about francization, as these proud Acadian/Francophone families could not be educated in French. The author does not seem to understand that for many of our parents, it is not only the attraction of bilingualism to obtain a job that motivates them to enrol their children in our schools, it is also the hope that their children and grandchildren can one day live in the language of their ancestors.
For the staff who works in our schools, it is often much more than a career that they seek. It is the desire to strengthen our beautiful Acadian/Francophone communities. Our staff are representative of the society in which they find themselves. Many of our employees are graduates of our school system. There are people from an immersion program or simply from another province or another country with the intention to settle on the Island to enjoy the Island lifestyle.
We check the writing skills of all of our teachers and almost all of our staff. There is no standard as to the accents they may have. This refers to old values tied to hierarchies of the French language.
Our schools are inclusive and open like the society in which we find ourselves. Our staff do a lot more than speak French. They make all Francophone cultures vibrate through stimulating programs, services and extracurricular activities.
The provincial government is making great efforts to offer more services in French. After all, you have to be realistic. We cannot provide all services in both official languages overnight. Education in French and in an immersion program has never been so popular across the country. Our population has increased by 35 per cent in six years in la CSLF schools. All the political parties in Ottawa agree on a modernization of the Official Languages Act, which could be adopted before the end of the year 2021. Obviously, the author did not understand the historical reasons and the societal, geopolitical, economic and cultural advantages of having French and English as official languages.
In addition, you have to be naïve to believe that this change happens instantly. It will take at least three generations and even more for us to be able to reverse a strong trend towards the assimilation of Francophones into minority settings. We still live on a continent whose spoken language is almost exclusively English. Even Québécois, who live in the greater metropolitan area of Montreal, are concerned about the place of the French language. However, contrary to what the author seeks to defend, there is hope. Our schools are growing, and more graduates will return to our communities to offer services in both official languages. With time, patience and determination, there will be more areas where Francophones will be served in French. Investing in education, in the Acadian/ Francophone community organizations, in media such as Radio-Canada and la Voix acadienne (the only French newspaper in P.E.I.), and in bilingual services at the municipality, the provincial and the federal levels will have significant spinoffs for all the Canadian population.
In conclusion, we wonder about the motives of a teacher who made a very short journey with us more than three years ago. We must also clarify that we have not offered a position to this individual recently. We had not been contacted by the English media at the time of this opinion letter, and we regret that our staff have been targeted without one’s knowledge. Finally, we are convinced that with our partners and the support of the various levels of government can create a better, inclusive society where more of us live in the two official languages of our beautiful country.
François Rouleau is the superintendent of Prince Edward Island’s French language school board. Gilles Benoit is the board chair. They issued this statement to Island media on July 6.