The FrancoForum is a specialized language teaching facility owned and operated by the local government in Saint-Pierre and Miquelon , a French collectivity located off the coast of Newfoundland , Canada. Staffed by professional French instructors, the institute offers a variety of courses for both students and teachers wishing to improve their fluency.
93-597: The FrancoForum is best known for hosting Le Programme Frecker, a 3-month French immersion program offered to students at Memorial University of Newfoundland . The program, which began in 1973, was originally housed in a small building at the centre of town. In 1992, an agreement was reached with the Conseil Général in Saint-Pierre to relocate the program to the newly built FrancoForum. Because of its proximity to English-speaking Canada, Saint-Pierre has become
186-488: A teaching certification . Classroom communication of French in French immersion programs is meaningful and authentic for students. Learning French becomes subconscious and there is a strong focus on understanding before speaking. Most students that enroll in French immersion programs are not experts in French and lack experience in it. Students in French immersion programs complete the same core curriculum subjects as students in
279-552: A 2019 report from the Toronto District School Board found that French immersion programs had a higher percentage of students who have parents with a very high socio-economic status, raising fears of a two-tier school system. A report by the Canadian Council on Learning spoke on the failure of many students to learn French: "Although most Canadian school children are taught English or French as
372-416: A French immersion course in one form group a year for the last four years. Pupils answer the register in French, and their French, IT and PHSE lessons are all in French. The Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle (originally Lycée Français de Londres) is a French school transported to England and as such the vast majority of the teaching is in French and caters to French curricula and indeed, as far as quatrième (at
465-489: A French immersion program, compared to 34% who took conventional French classes in an otherwise-English school environment. As of 2021, 483,000 students were enrolled in French immersion programs only in public elementary and secondary schools in Canada outside Quebec and Nunavut. In many countries around the world, students are educated in two or more languages: often all students learn at least one foreign language , perhaps
558-599: A by then even lower TFR (1.6) "Starting in 1960, Québec experienced a drop in fertility that was so sharp and rapid, it was almost unparalleled in the developed countries." The 2003 article "Where Have All the Children Gone?", published in the academic journal Canadian Studies in Population by Professor Catherine Krull of Queen's University and Professor Frank Trovato of the University of Alberta , points out
651-511: A certain amount of English education outside of the province (ex. another Canadian province). Once a child has been permitted to attend an English primary or high school, the remaining children in that family are also granted access. This bill still stands today, although many reforms have been made in an attempt to make it less harsh. Several historians have studied the Quiet Revolution, presenting somewhat different interpretations of
744-421: A deeper appreciation and respect for various cultures . In addition, they also gain more fulfillment in learning a new language. Students in French immersion programs also have greater opportunity to understand their own culture or their own nation. For example, Canada's identity is based on the fact that it holds two official languages, English and French. French immersion students have the opportunity to gain
837-424: A greater understanding of what it means to be Canadian through the French immersion program. Many challenges in participating in French immersion programs persist. For example, many French immersion students do not reach native-like language proficiency in French. This could be due, in part, to the fact that there is a lack of willingness on the part of French immersion students to communicate in French outside of
930-458: A group of 5,000 asbestos miners went on strike for three months against a foreign corporation. They were supported by Joseph Charbonneau ( Bishop of Montreal ), the Québécois nationalist newspaper Le Devoir , and a small group of intellectuals. Until the second half of the 20th century, the majority of Francophone Québec workers lived below the poverty line, and Francophones did not join
1023-584: A high school which provides the full curriculum in English only. This often leads to problems with "both language and subject matter gaps in their learning", according to a Toronto Star report. Students who do have access to a high school with French instruction may feel overwhelmed with having to learn heavy content in mathematics and science in their second language. Teachers in such schools can be equally overwhelmed with being restricted to using only French in these contexts, and may experience guilt when English
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#17327730539761116-529: A higher standard than was usually achieved in the English schools in Quebec at the time. Unable to convince the school authorities, they hired a teacher and ran their own kindergarten on the principals of early immersion. The promising results of the experiment in Saint-Lambert were studied and endorsed by researchers at McGill University , Wallace E. Lambert and Wilder Penfield . After this endorsement,
1209-841: A language-learning tool is not a new one globally. However, it needed influential English-Canadian champions who were able to convince others both that French was worth learning and that immersion was the correct method before it spread in Canada. The University of Western Ontario began offering a language home-stay program for young adults in Trois-Pistoles 1933, for example, because of the advocacy of Western's president, Dr. William Sherwood Fox , who had learned French by traveling in Quebec in 1900. The "founding mothers" of elementary school French immersion in Canada are generally cited as Olga Melikoff, Valerie Neale, and Murielle Parkes from Saint-Lambert, Quebec , three English-speaking housewives who wanted to see their children learn French to
1302-496: A phrase coined by Le Devoir editor André Laurendeau ), was voted into power within a year of Duplessis's death. It is generally accepted that the revolution ended before the October Crisis of 1970, but Québec society has continued to change dramatically since then, notably with the rise of the sovereignty movement, evidenced by the election of the sovereigntist Parti Québécois (first in 1976 by René Lévesque ),
1395-658: A popular destination for anglophone students wishing to become immersed in French language and culture. The Newfoundland and Labrador branch of the Canadian Parents for French organization holds a yearly summer camp program at the FrancoForum. The Francoforum is accredited by the Public Service of Canada for French language training of civil servants. This Saint Pierre and Miquelon -related article
1488-450: A publicly funded elite track education. Since lower socioeconomic groups and children with learning and behavioral problems have lower rates of participation in French immersion, a situation has developed in which ambitious families might prefer French immersion more for its effective streaming than for the bilingual skills it gives to students. Enrollment in French immersion programs has become difficult for immigrants to Canada, because it
1581-477: A second language in school, these lessons often fail to yield functional bilingualism. For example, New Brunswick's French Second Language Commission recently reported that fewer than 1% of the students who enrolled in "core French" in 1994 had met the provincial minimum goal by 2007. And fewer than 10% of students who enrolled in early-French immersion in 1995 had attained the provincial goal by 2007." French immersion programs were introduced into Canadian schools in
1674-663: A separate school system altogether. Historically, enrolment in French immersion was proportionally highest in Quebec and New Brunswick , both provinces that have their own provincial language laws, above and beyond the federal Official Languages Act, which made knowledge of French even more valuable in the local job markets. French immersion enrolment in lowest in Western Canada and the North , where job requiring French are more rare. However all regions except New Brunswick (where
1767-462: A significant street demonstration took place in Montreal, known as Opération McGill français . The primary objective of this protest was to advocate for McGill University to become a French-speaking educational institution. The 1950s tenure of Quebec Premier Maurice Duplessis epitomized the conservative ideal of a religiously and culturally pure Québec, and became known among liberals as
1860-678: A speech at Montreal City Hall, which gave the Québec independence movement further public credibility. In 1968, the sovereigntist Parti Québécois was created, with René Lévesque as its leader. A small faction of Marxist sovereignists began terrorist actions as the Front de libération du Québec , the zenith of their activities being the 1970 October Crisis , during which British diplomat James Cross as well as Labour Minister Pierre Laporte were both kidnapped by FLQ cells, with Laporte eventually being killed. The Parti Québécois twice led
1953-612: A state-administered welfare state known as the état-providence , a shift in political alignment toward federalist and sovereigntist (or separatist ) factions (each faction influenced by Quebec nationalism ), and the eventual election of a pro-sovereignty provincial government in the 1976 election . While the Quiet Revolution is often associated with the efforts of the Liberal Party of Quebec 's government led by Jean Lesage (elected in 1960) and, to some extent, Robert Bourassa (elected in 1970 after Daniel Johnson of
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#17327730539762046-560: A system "where the smart, motivated kids are funnelled into French, and everyone else gets left behind in English" which can become viewed as the "de facto low track stream". The author discussed a study at a Vancouver school, published in the British Journal of Sociology of Education , which concluded that "French immersion programmes operate as a 'cream-skimming' phenomenon ... [that] allows white, middle class parents to access markers of higher social status and prestige." Similarly,
2139-537: A yet-to-be-designed French curriculum for all non-Francophone students. Subsequently, the education minister resigned and the teachers' union protested that the timeline was much too quick for such a radical change. In the face of intense backlash from parents, the Higgs government announced on February 17, 2023, that it would no longer proceed with the plan. The Agence pour l'enseignement français à l'étranger (AEFE) runs or funds 470 schools worldwide, with French as
2232-460: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . French immersion French immersion is a form of bilingual education in which students who do not speak French as a first language will receive instruction in French. In most French- immersion schools , students will learn to speak French and learn most subjects such as history, music, geography, art, physical education and science in French. This type of education, in which most of
2325-669: Is a bilingual French–English school. The program is also offered at The Glennie School in Toowoomba , Queensland . Lycée Condorcet in Maroubra , Sydney , teaches almost entirely in French and conforms to the French government system, enabling students to easily transition to and from France to the school. Walker Road Primary School, Aberdeen, Scotland, started an early partial immersion program in 2000. Also, Judgemeadow Community College , Evington, in Leicester, has been using
2418-408: Is also done in some private schools and preschools . Generally, colleges and universities in Canada teach in only one of the two official languages. Students must pass linguistic entrance exams to study in a language they did not complete their schooling in. All universities and many colleges will offer traditional language learning in the other official language; however, these are not immersion in
2511-431: Is an ability to think more independently of words and to have a higher awareness of concept formation as well as a more diversified intelligence than students in the regular program. Data illustrates that students in French immersion programs also have a linguistic advantage as they are able to adopt two different perspectives, offering alternative ways to look at the same information. French immersion students also have
2604-435: Is argued by school administrators and board professionals that learning English as a second language presents enough of a challenge for students. The lack of accessibility to French immersion programs for English language learners is very similar to that for students with special needs. As a result, the media places blame on Canada's immigrants for the declining number of Canadians who are able to speak English and French, while
2697-472: Is to protect the French language by making it the language of business in Québec, as well as restricting the use of English on signs. The bill also restricted the eligibility for elementary and high school students to attend school in English, allowing this only for children of parents who had studied in English in Québec. Children may also be eligible for English education if their parents or grandparents received
2790-439: Is used in their classrooms to reinforce vocabulary and complex concepts. Some experts recommend debate within school boards and ministries about allowing the use of English in French immersion contexts when teaching complex concepts in mathematics and science. It is extremely difficult for school boards in Canada to hire teachers who are fully fluent in French and also have experience and evidence of excellent teaching skills in
2883-722: The Grande Noirceur ('Great Darkness'), although the Richard Riot of 1955 may have signaled growing submerged forces. Soon after Duplessis' death, the June 1960 provincial election installed the Liberal provincial government of Jean Lesage , and the Quiet Revolution began. Prior to the 1960s, the government of Québec was controlled by the conservative Duplessis, leader of the Union Nationale party. Not all
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2976-553: The Union Nationale in 1966), its profound impact has influenced the policies of most provincial governments since the early 1960s. A primary change was an effort by the provincial government to assume greater control over healthcare and education, both of which had previously been under the purview of the Catholic Church . To achieve this, the government established ministries of Health and Education , expanded
3069-623: The Explore program funded by the federal government, based on the Trois-Pistoles program at Western founded in 1933 (see above). French-immersion programs were offered in all ten Canadian provinces until 2022 when New Brunswick announced plans to abolish the program. The popularity of French immersion and "core French" differ by province and region. Note that these numbers refers to anglophone and allophone pupils: it does not include francophone mother-tongue students, who are enrolled in
3162-727: The Halton Catholic District School Board was considering an end to their French immersion program for this reason. Some experts have suggested that research be conducted to seek strategies for French teacher recruitment to alleviate staff shortages in Canadian schools. Scholarship and bursary programs for prospective Bachelor of Education students to gain French teaching qualifications are also suggested to alleviate these shortages. The province of Ontario planned to open its first university where classes will be taught exclusively in French and this may alleviate
3255-501: The Industrial Revolution . Buoyed by significant manufacturing demand during World War I and World War II , the Québec economy was already expanding before the events of the Quiet Revolution. Rouillard also argues that traditional portrayals of the Quiet Revolution falsely depict it as the rise of Liberalism in Québec . He notes the popularity enjoyed by federal Liberal Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier as well as
3348-609: The National Hospital Insurance Plan , the first public health insurance plan adhered to by all the provinces. In 1966, the National Medicare program was created. Federal politics were further influenced by the election of Pierre Elliot Trudeau in 1968. The rise to power of arguably Canada's most influential Prime Minister was unique in Canadian politics. The charisma and charm he displayed throughout his whirlwind campaign swept up much of
3441-565: The language of a former colonizer (e.g. French in West Africa , English in South Asia , etc.); commonly minorities learn the majority language , often this is required by law or is simply thought of as an economic necessity; and occasionally two or more language communities in the same country learn each other's languages . The Canadian model differs from most countries in that it is a wealthy and politically influential sub-set of
3534-467: The 1960s to encourage bilingualism across the country. Now immersion programs provide an alternative education stream for many students. Since their implementation, French immersion programs have become increasingly popular across Canada and school districts have seen significant increased enrolment in their French immersion student population over the years. French immersion programs are offered in most Anglophone public school districts. French immersion
3627-429: The Canadian context differs markedly from other language programs aimed at teaching minorities the language of the majority (sometimes called "submersion" instead of immersion by critics). Researcher Marjorie Bingham Wesche offers the following contextual characteristics of the original Canadian model: Besides these contextual factors, the program's design also had a few key features: Many variations have emerged since
3720-544: The Catholic Church supported Duplessis – some Catholic unions and members of the clergy criticized him, including Montreal Archbishop Joseph Charbonneau – but the bulk of the small-town and rural clergy supported him. Some quoted the Union Nationale slogan Le ciel est bleu, l'enfer est rouge ('The sky (Heaven) is blue, Hell is red') as a reference to the colors of the Union Nationale (blue) and
3813-418: The Catholic Church. Seljak felt that the Catholic Church could have responded with a more vocal opposition. Modern Québec historians have brought some nuance to the importance of the Quiet Revolution. Though the improvements made to Québec society during this era make it seem like an extremely innovative period, it has been posited that these changes follow a logical revolutionary movement occurring throughout
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3906-594: The English-language program. The French immersion concept was designed to: (a) capitalize on children's ability to learn language naturally and effortlessly ; (b) take advantage of their social ability and open attitudes to language and culture ; (c) reflect on the building blocks of language by emphasizing the use of languages for communication and (d) not stopping the children from participating in native language development, academic achievement or general cognitive development. The age an individual begins
3999-589: The French immersion program and that resources are not available in the program would be ignorant and misinformed. French immersion teachers could go through professional development training and courses about special education integration into their programs, all while creating referral processes for special education in French immersion with parent involvement as an aim. When the rights of children to special education are overlooked, consequences can be costly to students' futures. French immersion students from elementary schools often experience difficulties when entering
4092-399: The French immersion program varies: The amount of time French immersion students spend in immersion varies: A study shows that French immersion might improve academic performance. Students participate in French immersion programs to gain employability-related skills and to increase job opportunities. Students in French immersion demonstrate a superior level of mental flexibility, which
4185-617: The Liberals (red), the latter accused often of being pro-communist. Radio-Canada , the newspaper Le Devoir and political journal Cité Libre were intellectual forums for critics of the Duplessis Government. Prior to the Quiet Revolution, the province's natural resources were developed mainly by foreign investors, such as the US-based Iron Ore Company of Canada . In the spring of 1949,
4278-488: The Premiership of Adélard Godbout as examples of Québec Liberalism prior to the events of the Quiet Revolution. The Godbout administration was extremely innovative. Its achievements include nationalizing the electricity distribution network of the city of Montreal, granting universal suffrage, instituting mandatory schooling until the age of 14 and establishing various social programs in Québec. The perception of
4371-594: The Quiet Revolution as a great upheaval in Québec society persists, but the revisionist argument that describes this period as a natural continuation of innovations already occurring in Québec cannot be omitted from any discussion on the merits of the Quiet Revolution. The historiography of the period has been notably explored by Ronald Rudin, who describes the legacy of the Lesage years in the depiction of what preceded them. Though criticized as apologists for Duplessis , Robert Rumilly and Conrad Black did add complexity to
4464-517: The Quiet Revolution, higher education was accessible to only a minority of French Canadians because of the generally low level of formal education and the expense involved. Moreover, secondary schools had placed a lot more emphasis on the liberal arts and soft sciences than the hard sciences . Following World War II , while most of the United States and Canada was enjoying a long period of prosperity and modernization, economic growth
4557-420: The Québec economy, with annual revenues of $ 12.7 billion Canadian dollars, $ 1.1 billion going directly into the province's coffers. More public institutions were created to follow through with the desire to increase the province's economic autonomy. The public companies SIDBEC (iron and steel), SOQUEM (mining), REXFOR (forestry) and SOQUIP (petroleum) were created to exploit the province's natural resources. This
4650-587: The Québécois people through unsuccessful referendums, the first in 1980 on the question of political sovereignty with economic association to Canada (also known as sovereignty association ), and the second in 1995 on full sovereignty. In 1977, during their first term in office, the Parti Québécois enacted the Charter of the French Language , known more commonly as Bill 101 , whose goal
4743-462: The Western world in the 1960s. Québec historian Jacques Rouillard [ fr ] took this revisionist stance in arguing that the Quiet Revolution may have accelerated the natural evolution of Quebec's francophone society rather than having turned it on its head. Several arguments support this view. From an economic perspective, Quebec's manufacturing sector had seen important growth since
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#17327730539764836-495: The administration of health and social services in the province. The Quiet Revolution combined declericalization with the radicalized implementation of Vatican II . There was a dramatic change in the role of nuns , which previously had attracted 2–3% of Québec's young women. Many left the convent while very few young women entered. The Provincial government took over the nuns' traditional role as provider of many of Québec's educational and social services. Often ex-nuns continued
4929-500: The age for compulsory schooling from 14 to 16; providing free schooling until the 11th grade; reorganizing school boards; standardizing school curricula; and replacing classical colleges , first with CEGEPs (publicly funded pre‑university colleges) in 1965, then the Université du Québec network in 1969. The reforms were an effort to improve access to higher education, geographically and financially. Additionally, more emphasis
5022-462: The age of 13–14), all pupils are taught entirely in French. Quiet Revolution The Quiet Revolution ( French : Révolution tranquille ) refers to a significant period of socio-political and socio-cultural transformation in French Canada , particularly in Quebec , following the election of 1960 . This period was marked by the secularization of the government, the establishment of
5115-579: The beginning of the Quiet Revolution. Alphonse-Marie Parent presided over a commission established in 1961 to study the education system and bring forth recommendations, which eventually led to the adoption of several reforms, the most important of which was secularization of the education system. In 1964 a Ministry of Education was established with Paul Gérin-Lajoie appointed the first Minister of Education since 1875. Although schools maintained their Catholic or Protestant character, in practice they became secular institutions. Reforms included raising
5208-445: The classroom. This lack of willingness may stem from students not feeling prepared or equipped to practice the language. Access to special education resources is often restricted to students in French immersion and as such, it is often suggested to parents that they switch their children to a regular English stream in order to access the support that their child requires. Suggesting that exceptional students would be better off without
5301-608: The country in what would be referred to as Trudeaumania . Before the end of the 1960s, Trudeau would pass the Official Languages Act (1969), which aimed to ensure that all federal government services were available in both of Canada's official languages. By the end of the 1960s, Trudeau had also passed legislation decriminalizing homosexuality and certain types of abortion . Montreal municipal politics were also going through an important upheaval. Jean Drapeau became Montreal mayor on October 24, 1960. Within
5394-452: The day ("partial immersion"). In the case of total immersion, English instruction is introduced in perhaps grade three ( Alberta ) or grade four ( Ontario ), and the minutes of English instruction per day will increase throughout their educational career with up to fifty percent of English/French instruction daily. As of 2020, 12% of Canadian students (excluding in Quebec) were enrolled in
5487-555: The decline in influence of the Roman Catholic Church over the lives of French-Canadians as one of the causes of the great reduction in the TFR during the Quiet Revolution. According to Professor Claude Belanger of Montreal's Marianopolis College , the loss of influence of the Roman Catholic Church and subsequent abandonment of long adhered to Church teachings concerning procreation was a key factor in Quebec going from having
5580-599: The earlier programs were designed; however, the original model (now called "early immersion") has produced good results and is still one of the most popular in Canada. French immersion education remains optional and not compulsory; parents have the choice of sending their children to schools that offer such programs. Students are encouraged to begin communicating in French as consistently as possible. Teachers in French immersion schools are competent in speaking French, either having acquired specific French as-a-second-language qualifications or already being fluent in French and having
5673-691: The economy which, as is evidenced by Hydro-Québec , is extremely profitable. The Société générale de financement (General financing corporation) was created in 1962 to encourage Québécois to invest in their economic future and to increase the profitability of small companies. In 1963, in conjunction with the Canada Pension Plan the government of Canada authorized the province to create its own Régie des Rentes du Québec ( RRQ , 'Québec Pension Plan'); universal contributions came into effect in 1966. The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec ( CDPQ , 'Québec Deposit and Investment Fund')
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#17327730539765766-495: The executive ranks of the businesses of their own province. Political activist and singer Félix Leclerc wrote: "Our people are the waterboys of their own country". In many ways, Duplessis's death in 1959, quickly followed by the sudden death of his successor Paul Sauvé , triggered the Quiet Revolution. The Liberal Party , led by Jean Lesage and campaigning under the slogans Il faut que ça change ("Things have to change") and Maîtres chez nous ("Masters of our own house",
5859-545: The first few years of his tenure, Drapeau oversaw a series of infrastructure projects, including the expansion of Dorval airport (now Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport ), the opening of the Champlain bridge and the renaissance of Old Montreal . He also oversaw the construction and inauguration of Place des Arts . Drapeau was also instrumental in the construction of the Montreal metro system, which
5952-464: The formation of a sovereigntist political party representing Québec on the federal level, the Bloc Québécois (founded in 1991 by Lucien Bouchard ), as well as the 1980 and 1995 sovereignty referendums. Some scholars argue that the rise of the Québec sovereignty movement during the 1970s is also part of this period. The Canadian Constitution of 1867 made education the responsibility of
6045-555: The goal of the education system. The report summarized its recommendations on the topic thusly: Our consultation and research have led us to one overwhelming conclusion: New Brunswick needs one strong, authentic, and engaging French second-language program of studies for all students in the Anglophone sector. As a result, Premier Higgs announced that while existing student in French immersion would be able to continue, new intakes of French immersion would cease in 2023 to be replaced by
6138-423: The government announced that the earliest possible starting year for full immersion would be raised to grade 6, but in the face of protests and court challenges later moved this to grade 3. Then in 2017 immersion starting in grade 1 was brought back. New Brunswick is the only province with constitutionally-enshrined official bilingualism based on a model of perfect equality between the languages. Every ten years,
6231-497: The government of New Brunswick commissions a report on the status of bilingualism in that province. The 2022 report written by provincial court Judge Yvette Finn and former deputy education minister John McLaughlin found that while 90% of French of immersion students were conversant in French, less than 10% of students in the regular English stream were. This was considered a major problem by Premier Blaine Higgs as he has stated personal bilingualism for all New Brunswickers should be
6324-694: The highest provincial birth rate in 1960 to the lowest in 1970. Seeking a mandate for its most daring reform, the nationalization of the province's electric companies under Hydro-Québec , the Liberal Party called for a new election in 1962 . The Liberal party was returned to power with an increased majority in the Legislative Assembly of Québec and within six months, René Lévesque , Minister of Natural Resources, enacted his plans for Hydro-Québec . The Hydro-Québec project grew to become an important symbol in Québec. It demonstrated
6417-594: The immigrant community continues to pursue opportunities to become fluent in both official languages of Canada. It is suggested that Canada's education system provide more opportunities to immigrants to become proficient in English and French in order to increase the number of Canadians who have knowledge of both official languages. Critics argued that success of French immersion programs gave an unfair advantage to those students over other Anglophone students who only took "core French" (non-immersion, traditional language courses). This led to several attempts at reforms. In 2008,
6510-409: The increasing number of jobs in the federal government and private sector that required personal bilingualism. Most school boards in Canada offer French immersion starting in grade one and others start as early as kindergarten. At the primary level, students may receive instructions in French at or near a hundred percent of their instructional day, called "total immersion", or some smaller part of
6603-626: The legal equality of spouses. In case of divorce, the rules for administering the Divorce Act were retained using Québéc's old community property matrimonial regime until 1980, when new legislation brought an automatic equal division of certain basic family assets between spouses. The societal and economic innovations of the Quiet Revolution, which empowered Québec society, emboldened certain nationalists to push for political independence. While visiting Montreal for Expo 67 , General Charles de Gaulle proclaimed Vive le Québec libre! in
6696-853: The majority language community that has voluntarily decided to demand that local governments offer their children an intensive immersion in the language of a minority. This would have been unthinkable before the constitutional and societal consequences of the Quiet Revolution (circa 1960s) in Quebec, and the passage of the Official Languages Act, 1969 by the federal parliament and the Official Language Act (Bill 22) in Quebec in 1974, which together mandated that tens of thousands of jobs in government and industry including high-paying professional and managerial work now required French. The idea of using immersion as
6789-418: The narrative of neo-nationalists by contesting the concept of a Grande Noirceur , the idea that Duplessis's tenure in office was one of reactionary policies and politics. Dale Thomson, for his part, noted that Jean Lesage , far from seeking to dismantle the traditional order, negotiated a transition with (and sought to accommodate) Québéc's Catholic Church. Several scholars have lately sought to mediate
6882-545: The neo-nationalist and revisionist schools by looking at grassroots Catholic activism and the Church's involvement in policy-making. Politics at the federal level were also in flux. In 1957, the federal government passed the Hospital Insurance and Diagnostic Services Act . This was, effectively, the beginning of a pan-Canadian system of publicly funded health care . In 1961, Prime Minister Diefenbaker instituted
6975-418: The physical landscape and social structures of Montreal, Quebec's principal city. The impact of the Quiet Revolution extended beyond Quebec's borders, influencing contemporary Canadian politics . Concurrent with the rise of Quebecois nationalism during this era, French Canadians made substantial strides in shaping the structure and direction of the federal government and national policies. On March 28, 1969,
7068-565: The primary language of instruction in most schools. French immersion is used in Australian schools such as Benowa State High School and The Southport School ; teaching mathematics , SOSE , science and French, entirely in French. There is also a French immersion program offered at Methodist Ladies' College and Mansfield State High School teaching a variety of subjects over three years in French. Telopea Park School in Canberra
7161-458: The province. Québec set up a Ministry of Public Instruction in 1868 but abolished it in 1875 under pressure from the Catholic Church. The clergy believed it would be able to provide appropriate teaching to young people and that the province should not interfere. By the early 1960s, there were more than 1,500 school boards, each responsible for its own programs, textbooks and the recognition of diplomas according to its own criteria. In addition, until
7254-602: The public service, made substantial investments in the public education system, and permitted the unionization of the civil service. Additionally, measures were taken to enhance Quebecois control over the province's economy , including the nationalization of electricity production and distribution, the creation of the Canada/Québec Pension Plan , and the establishment of Hydro-Québec in an effort to nationalize Quebec's electric utilities. Furthermore, during this period, French Canadians in Quebec adopted
7347-494: The rules on eligibility were changed) experienced growth in proportionate and absolute terms between 2000 and 2012. Often, because French immersion is a "program of choice" and not a required part of the curriculum, school boards charge parents busing fees to have their children attend a school other than the one in their own neighbourhood. This is a financial barrier of a kind that is usually not acceptable in Canada's culture of universal, public education. Since French immersion
7440-423: The same basic facts. For example, Cuccioletta and Lubin raised the question of whether it was an unexpected revolution or an inevitable evolution of society. Behiels asked, how important are economic factors such as outside control of Québec's finance and industry? Was the motivating force one of liberalism or one of nationalism? Gauvreau raised the issues of religious factors, and of the changes going on inside
7533-564: The same roles in civilian dress; and for the first time men started entering the teaching profession. Also during the time of the Quiet Revolution, Quebec experienced a large drop in the total fertility rate (known as TFR: the lifetime average number of live births per woman of child-bearing age) falling from 3.8 in 1960 to 1.9 in 1970. According to a study commissioned in 2007 by the Québec Ministry of Families, Seniors and Status of Women on possible ways to address problems related to
7626-422: The school board adopted the program and it was quickly copied by other boards across Canada. As the number of French immersion schools grew, larger academic studies showed the students had very good, though not native-level French, and had no major delay in English. The founding of the advocacy group Canadian Parents for French in 1977 represented the mainstreaming of the program across Canada. French immersion in
7719-451: The sense used in schools. A few institutions have both French and English faculties in the same university, but admission to individual courses still requires preexisting language skills. The University of Ottawa briefly offered specialized science classes for students studying in their second language during the 1980s, but these was phased out in favour of traditional language courses. True immersion occurs at summer programs that are part of
7812-475: The staffing problems eventually. By late 2017, the final recommendations from a planning board had been submitted to the government. The Université de l'Ontario français began accepting students in 2021. A report, by a PhD candidate scholar in educational policy at the University of Toronto, also discussed concerns about French immersion creating a dual track academic stream in many schools. She referred to
7905-404: The strength and initiative of the Québec government and was a symbol of the ingenuity of Québécois in their capability to complete such an ambitious project. The original Hydro-Québec project ushered in an era of "megaprojects" that would continue until 1984, seeing Québéc's hydroelectric network grow and become a strong pillar of the province. Today, Hydro-Québec remains a crucial element to
7998-452: The students are from the majority language community but are voluntarily immersed in the minority language is atypical of most language learning around the world, and was developed in Canada as a result of political and social changes in the 1960s, notably the Official Languages Act, 1969 which led many Anglophones (primarily urban or suburban and middle class ) to put their children in to French programs to ensure they could succeed in
8091-564: The term Québécois to distinguish themselves from both the rest of Canada and France, solidifying their identity as a reformed province. The Quiet Revolution ushered in a period of significant economic and social development not only in Quebec but also in French Canada and Canada as a whole. This transformation coincided with similar developments occurring in the Western world in general. Notably, it brought about notable changes to
8184-678: The various subjects that they must teach in elementary schools, for example. As early as 1982 school boards in Winnipeg had to cap enrollment in French immersion due to high demand. A school board in the Greater Toronto Area reported in 2017 that 80% of principals recently reported finding it extremely difficult to hire French-speaking teachers of the same calibre as the English-speaking staff. In fact, in November 2017,
8277-535: Was a massive shift away from the Duplessis era in which Québec's abundant natural resources were hardly utilized. Duplessis' policy was to sell off untransformed natural resources at bargain prices in order to create more employment in Québec's regions. This strategy, however, proved weak as Québec's natural resources were exploited for little profit. The shift in mentality of the Quiet Revolution allowed Québec to gain further financial autonomy by accessing this area of
8370-511: Was created in 1965 to manage the considerable revenues generated by the RRQ and to provide the capital necessary for various projects in the public and private sectors. A new labour code ( Code du Travail ) was adopted in 1964. It made unionizing much easier and gave public employees the right to strike. It was during the same year that the Code Civil ('Civil Code') was modified to recognize
8463-486: Was designed for anglophone children learning French as a second language, it did not meet the needs of francophone children living in minority communities outside of Quebec. This problem was addressed by the creation of separate francophone school systems in the 1990s. In 2008, an editorial in the Vancouver Sun criticized French immersion programs for having become a way for higher socioeconomic groups to obtain
8556-534: Was placed on the hard sciences, and there was now work for the Québécois who had previously needed to leave the province in order to find jobs in their preferred fields. For example, the opening of Hydro-Québec meant that skilled engineers needed to be hired. Also during this period the Ministry of Social Affairs was created, which in June 1985 became the Ministry of Health and Social Services , responsible for
8649-486: Was slower in Québec. The level of formal schooling among French-Canadians was quite low: only 13% finished grade 11, as opposed to 36% of English Canadians. One of the most scathing attacks on the educational system was levelled by Brother Jean-Paul Desbiens , writing under the pseudonym of Frère Untel . The publication of his book Les insolences du Frère Untel (1960) quickly sold over 100,000 copies and has come to be recognized as having important impact on
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