The 8 French-language Catholic school boards celebrated their 20^th anniversary.

On May 7, 2014, the Cadre de référence de l’élève catholique (Catholic School Graduate Expectations) was officially launched in Toronto during the first ever Catholic Student Symposium “Vous serez mes témoins” (You shall be my witnesses).  This document will further guide French-language Catholic Education in Ontario.

The document Mission – L’école catholique de langue française en Ontario (Mission – French-Language Catholic Schools in Ontario) was published for all the members of the French-language Catholic Schools in Ontario.

It was officially launched as a reference document for our Catholic schools. It identified four distinct scopes of responsibilities for our schools to assume in order to attain their mission within our society:

• Teaching of the various school subjects;
• School’s relational climate;
• Religious education;
• Pastoral leadership.

Following the creation of the French-language Catholic school boards in Ontario, new features were implemented as early as September 1998 to officialize L’École catholique’s first school year.

French-language district school boards are created (8 French Catholic and 4 French public boards).

Collège des Grands-Lacs and Collège Boréal were inaugurated.

The Report of the Royal Commission on Learning recommends that the Conseil scolaire de langue française d’Ottawa-Carleton be dissolved and replaced by the Conseil des écoles publiques d’Ottawa-Carleton and the Conseil des écoles catholiques de langue française de la région d’Ottawa-Carleton.

Agreement on the creation of the Conseil des écoles séparées de langue française de Prescott-Russell.

Report of the advisory group on the management of French language education.

The Supreme Court of Canada’s unanimous judgment in the Mahé case confirms that Article 23 of the Charter provides to Francophones the right to administer and control their education outside of Québec and this, in an environment that nurtures the linguistic minority’s culture and ensures its preservation and financing through public funding. It is clear that the model established by Bill 75 is a minimum standard and, at the other end of the scale, there are the French-language boards. It is in the light of the Mahé decision that AFOCEC determines that the ideal situation is to have a Catholic French-language board with full funding, leaving the various regions to define their own appropriate model.

Law 12, enacted on December 20, 1990, gives Francophones a representation based on student population. It also gives the Lieutenant Governor in Council the responsibility to make regulations for the establishment of French-Language boards up to January 1, 1994. This means that the full rights of Francophone Catholics are not enshrined in legislation.

In the midst of this evolving reality, Ontario’s Catholic bishops were asking all our partners in education to consider this promising situation. It provided us with the opportunity we needed to reflect on these questions and it allowed us to understand the present and contemplate the future.

Less than two decades later, the coming of the Internet and the blooming of the information era were redefining societies and relations worldwide. Once more, we had to find the required courage to consider this period to be a promising situation allowing us to revamp the Catholic education’s mission statement.

Bill 125 adopted on June 1, 1988 infringes on the rights of French-language Catholic voters. The result of the census completed before the adoption of the law reduced the number of Francophone trustees on several boards and reversed the Francophone majority in six Catholic school boards. Francophones challenge the constitutionality of the census and the new representation which is based on the number of rights holders. On the eve of the 1988 school board election, an order granting a double majority vote is granted to trustees in six boards.

The 1988 Draft Bill 125 to amend the Education Act proposes that the number of Francophone commissioners be proportional to the number of electors holding minority language education rights.

In the Marchand case ruling, Judge Sirois decreed that the quality of education of the minority should be equal to the quality of education offered to the majority.

Draft Bill 17 proposes that Franco-Ontarians should gain the right to be represented in each school board by a French–language section with exclusive competency over French–language teaching modules.

Bill 75 enacted on October 1, 1986 entitles voters to elect Francophone Catholic trustees and ensures, by extension, the administration of Franco-Ontarian education by Francophones.

The Government of Ontario refers Draft Bill 30 to the Ontario Court of Appeals to confirm the constitutionality of the law. The court deems the law to be constitutional.

Premier William Davis announces funding to Catholic high schools, which means the completion of the Catholic school system. There is a positive reaction from the Catholic community in light of the impending equal rights to equitable funding. However, this can only be achieved if spending, above projected ceilings, is offset by evaluation and not by government subsidies. 

Law 119 states that all Francophone students have the right to be educated in their own language.

The Ontario referral on Education to the Ontario Court of Appeals strikes the provisions of the Education Act granting school boards discretionary powers to set the number of enrolled children required before French–language education can be provided.

The religious communities no longer represented the face of the province’s Catholic schools. From then on, the role of leader was to be assumed by qualified laypersons who had received professional training.

On February 17, the Symons Commission recommends the establishment of a Commission of language rights in education. This commission should play a mediating role, but is not empowered to make decisions. School crises continue.

The merger of several Catholic school boards and the right to elect school trustees.

Ontario Premier John Robarts denounces the fact that too many Franco-Ontarian youth drop out before completing their secondary school education and asks the Minister of Education to look into the relationship between Franco-Ontarians and their school system.

The Honourable John Robarts, Premier of Ontario, announces a new financing strategy for schools known as the “Ontario Foundation Tax Plan”.

All subjects can be taught in French in grades 9 and 10, at the discretion of the school principal.

The Royal Commission on Education in Ontario finds that the status of French-language education is inadequate and that remedying the situation is necessary.

In the 1940’s, most Francophone students left school at the end of their elementary studies, because there is no French-language secondary school, except in certain areas where Francophones are represented in a strong majority.

At the secondary level, the Francophone population can only receive a secondary education within a private school. The first one is created in Ottawa in 1845. Separate school boards may, by law, offer courses for Franco-Ontarians up to Grade 10. However, for grades 11 and 12, the only option is a private school or an English-Language public high school. Classes in grades 9 and 10 for separate boards only receive grants equivalent to elementary school funding, which are lower than those given to English public secondary schools.

In the first instance, parents are subject to a double taxation: their taxes are directed to the public sector, but they have to pay extra to ensure their children are educated in French. In the second situation, it is assimilation.

The implementation of the Separate school Bill is not well received by Catholics or Protestants. On May 24, 1937, the Assessment Act is hereby revoked with Hepburn’s promise to grant equitable funding in the near future.

The Catholic Taxpayers’ Association hailing from Central Ontario is created in response to the frustrations experienced by school trustees and Catholic taxpayers who feel their rights are being violated. Parishes exert pressure demanding fair access to revenues stemming from corporate income taxes.

The Scott-Marchand-Côté Commission report recommends that both French and English languages should receive equal consideration and should be used on an equal footing in elementary school teaching and communication. The report also recommends that school inspectors should be bilingual and, in French-language schools, of Francophone origin.

Circular of Instruction (Regulation) No. 17 for Ontario Separate (bilingual) Schools is adopted by ministerial order in June 1912. The Regulation is amended in August 1913 and becomes law in April 1915.

Until 1885, in Prescott and Russell and in south-western Ontario, the French public school system gradually transforms into separate schools, which seem better able to welcome the French-speaking population and allow it to continue learning in French, even when it is prohibited.

The Public Education Ministry decrees that English is to be used in teaching and converts French-language schools into English-French bilingual schools.

Religious rights are enshrined in the Constitution Act.

The first secondary school was founded in Ottawa in 1845.

The law creating “Common Schools” requires Francophones to leave Catholic schools in order to attend public schools.

The Government of Upper Canada (Ontario) reserves 200,000 hectares for school purposes.