Concrete proposals to better protect early childhood programming in Manitoba and throughout Canada
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Bernard Lesage Alain Laberge
Chair Superintendent
CSFM DSFM
Concrete proposals to better protect early childhood
programming in Manitoba and throughout Canada
Friday, March 2, 2018
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Mr. President,
Distinguished Members,
The DSFM thanks you for being here. It is a privilege to host you in the land of
Louis Riel. We are less than two kilometres from the resting place of this Father of
confederation and if any of you have time later, it would be my pleasure to take
you to see him. Last week, the senators on the Senate Standing Committee on
Official Languages were here in Winnipeg as part of their study on the
modernization of the Official Languages Act, and I invited them to come and visit
some of our schools. I extend to you the same invitation!
As this Committee has noted time and again, particularly in 2012 and 2016, early
learning is the foundation of the education continuum. 1 It is a “crucial stage in life,
particularly with regard to language and identity development in children.” 2
In the course of the consultations leading to the development of its strategic plan
for 2016 to 2020, the DSFM concluded that there is a pronounced need to provide
full-time pre-kindergarten programs for four-year-olds, particularly because of the
role such programs play in the francization of our students.
1
House of Commons, Standing Committee on Official Languages, After the Roadmap: Toward Better Programs
and Service Delivery, (November 2012) (chair: the Honourable Michael Chong); House of Commons, Standing
Committee on Official Languages, Toward a New Action Plan for Official Languages and Building New Momentum
for Immigration in Francophone Minority Communities, (December 2016) (chair: the Honourable Denis Paradis);
see also: Senate, Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages, French-Language Education in a Minority
Setting: A Continuum from Early Childhood to the Postsecondary Level, (June 2005) (chair: the Honourable Eymard
G. Corbin); Senate, Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages, Horizon 2018: Toward Stronger Support of
French-Language Learning in British Columbia, (May 2017) (chair: the Honourable Claudette Tardif).
2
House of Commons, Standing Committee on Official Languages, After the Roadmap: Toward Better Programs
and Service Delivery, (November 2012) (chair: the Honourable Michael Chong) at p. 56.
P.O. Box 204, 1263 Dawson Road
Lorette, Manitoba R0A 0Y0
Tel.: 204 878-9399 and 1 800 699-3736
Fax: 204 878-9407
www.dsfm.mb.ca Apprendre et grandir ensembleDespite the consensus on the importance of that period in child development,
particularly where French is a minority language as it is here in Manitoba, the
solutions identified thus far by this committee, by the Standing Senate Committee
on Official Languages and by the federal government have not provided a lasting
solution to the problem of access to early learning services in French.
This Committee is once again studying the issue of access to early learning
services in the minority language. That is excellent! … but, the DSFM urges you to
use this latest in a string of studies on the subject as an opportunity to recommend
to the government permanent solutions. Rather than hope that the Multilateral
Early Learning and Child Care Framework (the “Multilateral Framework”) or its
next iteration meets the needs of the Franco-Manitoban community, the DSFM
asks that the obligations of the federal government be strengthened so as ensure
that federal institutions cannot allow the government of Manitoba to use federal
funds under an agreement such as the Multilateral Framework without identifying
and responding to the needs of the DSFM.
It is not sufficient for the DSFM and the Franco-Manitoban community to receive
part of the federal funds for early learning in proportion to their populations. The
fair share is the amount that provides for substantive equality. Currently, the
federal government may use its spending power as a vehicle for change to close the
gap between the majority and the minority, particularly in the area of early
learning. The federal government should be required to use its spending power in
that way.
The solution is simple: Parliament must limit the discretion of federal institutions
to allow the province of Manitoba to do what it likes with the federal funds. Confer
rights upon the communities through the Official Languages Act.
Why is this important? Because, although the situation of the DSFM may be the
envy of some of its Canadian counterparts, and although the government of
Manitoba is subject to more language obligations than some other provinces, the
needs of francophones here are not always taken into account by the province.
I am well aware of the situation in British Columbia, and I can confirm that the
situation on the ground is not much rosier here in Manitoba, despite the fact that
French has better protections here than in British Columbia.
page 2 of 9
Friday, March 2, 2018In my remarks today, on behalf of the DSFM, I will address the protections given
to early childhood education in Manitoba, which favours the majority. I will also
discuss the concrete consequences of the bilateral agreement between the federal
government and Manitoba on early learning and childcare for the DSFM and its
students. The Canada-Manitoba Agreement on Early Learning and Child Care
(the “Agreement”) 3 arising out of the Multilateral Framework has just been signed,
but it will only last for three years. It is therefore already time to consider what
must be improved in order to help the Franco-Manitoban community.
1) The protection of early learning in Manitoba, in one of the most
bilingual provinces, nonetheless leaves the DSFM at a disadvantage; in
order to counter this disadvantage, the DSFM set up a pilot project to
start offering a pre-kindergarten program for four-year-olds in just five
schools, due to a lack of funding
The government of Manitoba recognizes the importance of early childhood
education, both in the Public Schools Act and in its budget. In fact, the
government’s last Speech from the Throne announced a new strategy on early
learning and child care, but without mentioning the unique needs of the Franco-
Manitoban community. 4 The DSFM continues to be concerned about the place
accorded to the needs of the Franco-Manitoban community in relation to that of the
majority.
The Public Schools Act recognizes the importance of early childhood and grants
school boards the authority to offer early learning programs. 5 The Public Schools
Act also recognizes the importance of promoting the French language and culture,
making this part of the mandate of the DSFM. 6 The Public Schools Act thus
necessarily allows the DSFM to offer a full-time pre-kindergarten program for
four-year-olds.
The Public Schools Act also allows for the provincial Minister of Finance to
provide grants to the DSFM, including “special grants.” 7 These special grants
3
Government of Manitoba, “Governments of Canada and Manitoba Announce Bilateral Agreement on Early
Learning and Child Care” (February 23, 2018), News Releases, online:
.
4
Manitoba, Legislative Assembly, Debates and Proceedings, 41st leg., 3rd sess., (November 21, 2017) (the
Honourable Janice C. Filmon), online:
.
5
Public Schools Act, C.C.S.M. c. P250, s. 48(1).
6
Public Schools Act, C.C.S.M. c. P250, s. 21.7.
7
Public Schools Act, C.C.S.M. c. P250, s. 197.
page 3 of 9
Friday, March 2, 2018include, for example, grants to support full-time pre-kindergarten programs for
four-year-olds. One regulation includes a grant to help school divisions provide
intersectoral services for pre-school children to increase readiness for school entry:
the Early Childhood Development Initiative. 8 The DSFM is currently working with
the Ministry of Education to use these grants to fund its early learning projects.
The Public Schools Act also provides that funding for a new school or a school that
is to have major renovations must include funds to provide buildings to
accommodate pre-kindergartens (for four-year-olds) or daycares. This capital
projects assistance includes space for full-time pre-kindergarten programs for four-
year-olds. 9
The experience of the DSFM in the area of early learning is positive, but many
challenges remain. Since at least 2012, the establishment of full-time pre-
kindergarten programs for four-year-olds in all DSFM schools has been one of its
priorities. As Rodrigue Landry put it, “early childhood animates the vitality of
francophone communities.” 10 However, not all DSFM schools have adequate
spaces – or even any spaces at all – to accommodate such a program.
In a minority language context, full-time pre-kindergarten for four-year-olds offers
children an environment that promotes the acquisition of solid French language
skills and a smooth transition into the school environment, in addition to increasing
children’s chances of success and supporting their francophone identity-building.
Currently, third party organizations offer full-time pre-kindergarten services for
four-year-olds at eleven DSFM elementary schools. 11 Demand is high and there are
8
Funding of Schools Program Regulation, Man Reg 259/2006; Schools’ Finance Branch, Funding of Schools:
2016/2017 School Year, Education Manitoba, online:
à la p 19.
9
Public Schools Act, C.C.S.M. c. P250, s. 173(7).
10
Rodrigue Landry (Canadian Institute for Research on Linguistic Minorities), “Petite enfance et autonomie
culturelle: Là où le nombre le justifie… V” [“Early childhood and cultural autonomy: Where numbers warrant…
V”], Research report produced by the Commission nationale des parents francophones (CNPF) (March 2010),
online: at p. 64 [in French
only].
11
I.e. the following schools: École Taché (Winnipeg; K-6); École Christine-Lespérance (Winnipeg; K-8); École
communautaire Réal-Bérard (Saint-Pierre-Jolys; K-12); École La Source (Shilo; M-12); École Lacerte (Winnipeg;
K-8); École Lagimodière (Lorette; K-8); École Noël-Ritchot (Winnipeg; K-8); École Pointe-des-Chênes (Ste-Anne;
K-12); École Précieux-Sang (Winnipeg; K-8); École Saint-Joachim (La Broquerie; K-12); École Ste-Agathe (Ste-
Agathe; K-8).
page 4 of 9
Friday, March 2, 2018waiting lists. In addition, five DSFM elementary schools 12 do not have access to
any pre-kindergarten service for four-year-olds.
In January 2014, the DSFM launched a pilot project to create a full-time pre-
kindergarten program for four-year-olds at its schools. The first program opened its
doors at École Gabrielle-Roy (Île-des-Chênes; K-12). Today, the DSFM offers this
“pilot” program at five of its schools.13
The DSFM has collected preliminary data on the results of students enrolled in the
program, and particularly their progress in DSFM schools. Using the 2014-2015
cohort at École Gabrielle-Roy (Île-des-Chênes; K-12), which is now in grade 2,14
the level of francization of the students enrolled in the four-year-old program was
significantly higher than that of students who started school in kindergarten (aged
five). Table 1 attached to these submissions details these results.
Thus, according to the analysis of the results of students in the pilot project, the
DSFM has found that unless they have learning difficulties, students who started
school at the age of four no longer require transition phase support by grade one.
On the other hand, students who started in kindergarten at the age of five and
require francization do not have a sufficient foundation in the language before
grade two. As a result, these students do not achieve the same level of
phonological awareness or reading, and they have a greater need for early
intervention for reading in grade one.
Although the Manitoba government recognizes the importance of pre-kindergarten
programs for four-year-olds, the DSFM uses its operational budget to fund the pre-
kindergarten programs it offers in its five schools, as well as the spaces it leases
from organizations to provide French language learning from an early age.
One of the greatest challenges for the DSFM, apart from the lack of funding for
pre-kindergarten for four-year-olds, is the competition of the nursery programs
offered in English-language schools. For example, the Winnipeg School Division
12
I.e. the following schools: École communautaire Aurèle-Lemoine (Saint-Laurent; K-12); École régionale Notre-
Dame (Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes; K-12); École régionale St-Jean-Baptiste (Saint-Jean-Baptiste; K-12); École
Roméo-Dallaire (Winnipeg; K-8); École La Voie du Nord (Thompson; K-12).
13
I.e. the following schools: École/collège régional Gabrielle-Roy (Île des Chênes; K-12); École Jours de Plaine
(Laurier; K-12); École communautaire Saint-Georges (St-Georges, K-12); École communautaire Gilbert-Rosset (St-
Claude; K-12); and École St-Lazare (St-Lazare; K-12).
14
This school was chosen due to the high number of children enrolled in pre-kindergarten and because a similar
number of children were enrolled in kindergarten without having completed full-time pre-kindergarten in French,
providing an opportunity to make a comparison.
page 5 of 9
Friday, March 2, 2018offers a pre-kindergarten program in English at 58 of its elementary schools,
representing around 1,800 students. On the other hand, only one of the two DSFM
schools in the territory of the Winnipeg School Division offers a program for four-
year-olds, École Précieux-Sang (Winnipeg; K-8) and École Taché (Winnipeg; M-
6). This competition puts the DSFM at a disadvantage, and it loses students to the
schools of the majority that are closer and offer a pre-kindergarten program for
four-year-olds… thanks to federal funds.
To ensure that federal funding granted to the minority in the area of early learning
truly goes to the initiatives chosen by the DSFM and has a real impact on the
success of our students, the obligations of the federal government must be
strengthened. The recently signed Agreement also illustrates this critical need.
2) The Agreement: a bilateral agreement that does not meet the needs of
the Franco-Manitoban community; the Department of Employment and
Social Development can change this in three years, when it is
renegotiated
The Multilateral Framework concluded in 2017 is aimed at giving the provinces
and territories the means to address certain challenges in early learning and child
care. 15
Under this Multilateral Framework, the Ministry of Families of Manitoba and the
Department of Employment and Social Development signed the Agreement in
December 2017.16 Under the Agreement, Manitoba will receive 47 million dollars
over three years17 to strengthen “the quality of the early learning and child care
system through new and innovative policies and practices and increasing
accessibility to licensed early learning and child care options for families most in
need.”18
15
Canada, “Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework,” online:
.
16
Government of Manitoba, “Governments of Canada and Manitoba Announce Bilateral Agreement on Early
Learning and Child Care” (February 23, 2018), News Releases, online:
.
17
Pierre Verrière, “47 millions $ et 1400 nouvelles places en garderie pour le Manitoba” [“$47 million and 1,400
new daycare spaces for Manitoba”] (February 23, 2018), Radio-Canada, online: [in French only].
18
Canada, Employment and Social Development Canada, “Backgrounder: Canada–Manitoba Early Learning and
Child Care Agreement,” online: .
page 6 of 9
Friday, March 2, 2018The DSFM is concerned about the “language clauses” in the Agreement as they do
not impose sufficient obligations on Manitoba. For this reason, the DSFM is using
this opportunity to propose a permanent solution to the problems in the area of
early childhood education, namely the amendment of the Official Languages Act.
These concerns are heightened by an analysis of the news releases from the two
parties to the Agreement, neither of which mentions the needs of the Franco-
Manitoban community. Indeed, according to the news release from the Department
of Employment and Social Development, the Agreement has five objectives.
However, none of these objectives is specifically aimed at the unique needs of the
Franco-Manitoban community. 19
In its news release, available in English only, the government of Manitoba also
describes its objectives for the funds from the Agreement, without mentioning the
specific needs of the Franco-Manitoban community or the DSFM. 20
The Agreement itself stipulates several times that the funds shall be distributed
“with consideration for those more in need,” which includes francophones.21 For
example, here is the wording of section 2.2.6 of the Agreement:
Le Manitoba convient de tenir compte des In developing and administering its early
besoins des communautés de langue officielle learning and child care programs and
en situation minoritaire au Manitoba quand services, Manitoba agrees to take into
elle élaborera et administrera ses programmes account the needs of official language
et services d’apprentissage et de garde des minority communities in Manitoba.
jeunes enfants.
The DSFM is of course grateful that a clause dedicated to the needs of the Franco-
Manitoban community was included in the Agreement… but in reality, this is not a
reason for celebration… because the francophone community has a right to expect
federal institutions to include such clauses systematically. I am sure you will agree
that women should not be “grateful” to receive the same wages as men!
19 Canada, Employment and Social Development Canada, “Backgrounder: Canada–Manitoba Early Learning and
Child Care Agreement,” online: .
20 Government of Manitoba, “Governments of Canada and Manitoba Announce Bilateral Agreement on Early
Learning and Child Care” (February 23, 2018), News Releases, online:
.
21
Canada, Canada – Manitoba Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, Annex 2, Action Plan at p. 13, online:
.
page 7 of 9
Friday, March 2, 2018In any case, despite this language clause, the Franco-Manitoban community has
reason to doubt the way in which Manitoba will give “consideration to its needs.”
My fingers are crossed. However, I would point out that the Agreement provides
funding for 94 spaces to support the French language community (out of a
maximum number of 650 spaces funded throughout the province). This is far too
few! The DSFM is at a significant disadvantage in its ability to offer early learning
programs, particularly with regard to the pre-kindergarten program for four-year-
olds here in Winnipeg. Federal funding under the Agreement will not allow it to fill
the enormous gap in the number of spaces in English and French. Yet that is the
role of the federal government: to enhance the vitality of the francophone minority
in Manitoba and support its development (s. 41 of the Official Languages Act).
3) The solution is simple!
I am not a legal expert, much less a parliamentarian, but in my humble opinion,
there is no need to try to stop the world from turning or change the country’s
Constitution... What is needed is to amend the Official Languages Act so as to
require that federal institutions impose rigorous language clauses in bilateral
agreements of this kind. This would be a permanent, structural contribution that
would be certain to promote the development of French here in Manitoba.
The Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages is studying the question of
the modernization of the Official Languages Act. The DSFM hopes you will do the
same.
Thank you.
Alain Laberge, Superintendent of the DSFM (alain.laberge@dsfm.mb.ca; 204-878-
9681)
page 8 of 9
Friday, March 2, 2018Table 1: Improvement of language skills in a sub-group of a cohort of students from École Gabrielle-
Roy (Île-des-Chênes; K-12) who completed a year of prekindergarten (aged four) before kindergarten
compared to a second sub-group from the same cohort
who only started school in kindergarten (aged five)
2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017
Kindergarten (aged five) Grade 1
Students enrolled in Students Students not Students Students not
junior kindergarten enrolled in enrolled in enrolled in enrolled in
(aged four) junior junior junior junior
kindergarten kindergarten kindergarten kindergarten
in 2014-2015 in 2014-2015 in 2014-2015 in 2014-2015
1 Number of students 10 10 6 10 6
Percentage of students needing
2 Francization at the beginning of the 80 % 20 % 50 % 20 % 33 %
year
Percentage of students with a
3 reading level below year-end n/a n/a n/a 30 % 50 %
expectations
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