Legislation being drafted by the province and the CSAP would be the first of its kind in Canada.
The act would give a French language minority school board its own specific and unique legislation responsible for governance and management.
Conseil scolaire acadien provincial (CSAP) superintendent Michel Comeau says, once passed, the act would be a very significant recognition that the French language minority has a certain right, not just in Nova Scotia, but in Canada.
‘As guaranteed by article 23 in the Charter. It recognizes those rights and forms a template to better manage French education in the province. This is very significant. ultimately I think everyone is going to be a winner in this province.”
In a statement to our newsroom, Education Minister Zach Churchill says the government is committed to supporting French-first language education in Nova Scotia.
He says they want to ensure, when the Act is introduced, that it meets all the unique cultural and language needs of the Acadian and Francophone community.
Churchill says the province is continuing to work with the CSAP on the details.
He says this is a historic opportunity for Nova Scotia and for the Acadian/Francophone community.
“It will be introduced during a future session once the work is complete.’
Comeau says they initially would have liked to have seen the law completed in this spring session.
“Given the importance of the legislation and given the complexity around it, what we were seeing that there was still a lot of work to do. The time was getting very close for the House to recess. In that context, by mutual agreement, we said this is important, it’s complex and we want to do it right, so let’s give ourselves the time necessary to do a good job and propose the legislation in the fall sitting.”
