Francophone education council to sue N.B. government over insufficient schools
DEC chair says students suffering because of lack of political will, underfunding
A francophone education council is suing the New Brunswick government, alleging it has failed to build enough new schools or renovate existing buildings.
The Francophone South district education council voted unanimously in favour of pursuing the case at its meeting Tuesday.
Education council chair Michel Côté said the province has failed to meet the district's needs as enrolment has climbed by about 2,500 students over the last six years. Côté said the lack of action threatens vitality of the francophone community by seeing students who could enrol in the francophone district instead go to anglophone schools.
"We're really worried that we're going to get a point that we're not just not going to be able to offer the service to our francophone children within our school district," Côté said in an interview.
Côté said the paperwork was filed at the Moncton courthouse Wednesday.
Education Minister Bill Hogan did not provide an interview.
The case seeks to force the province to accept a 10-year plan to build seven new schools across the district and renovate or expand others. Côté said they would rather negotiate than face a long court battle, but were no longer willing to keep waiting.
Francophone South, with about 17,500 students in 38 schools, is one of seven school districts in New Brunswick. The district covers a broad area, stretching from Charlotte County northeast to Miramichi, including the cities of Moncton, Saint John, and Fredericton.
The new schools are sought in St. George or Saint Andrews area, Saint John's west side, Sussex, Miramichi, Fredericton, Moncton and Riverview.
Côté said a lack of schools or overcrowded schools in some of those areas could result in more students going into the anglophone system and overcrowding its schools.
He said census figures suggest there are about 5,600 students who could be eligible to attend a francophone school in the Saint John region.
The problem with that is, said Côté, if a child "doesn't come to francophone school, his children or her children will lose their right to go to francophone school."
Côté pointed to a 2020 Supreme Court of Canada decision that ordered the government of British Columbia to pay millions to its sole French-language school board for underfunding its school bus transportation system for a decade.
The country's top court ruled B.C. violated section S. 23 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees education in one of Canada's two official languages.
"The [Francophone South district] is facing a situation where our students are suffering the consequences of a lack of political will and continued underfunding," Côté's statement said.
"The New Brunswick government is constantly delaying crucial real-estate decisions, compromising the educational future of thousands of Francophone students."
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Reply to William Murdoch
Jos Allaire
This government is an epic failure of its obligations under the Constitution.
David Amos
Reply to Jos Allaire
What Constitution?
Ronald Miller
Reply to Jos Allaire
Where is the Constitution when it comes to Quebec and Anglophones, let me guess, that does not count.
The latest report on air quality improvements has shown that there are around 30 schools still to be done in NB . ALL in Anglophone schools . IN fact , those in Francophone districts have all been completed over a year ago . Due to a lack of installers , only so many can be done over the summer period . One need only look at how many 60 to 80 year old schools are still being used . In fact , the Devon Middle School is number one on Anglophone Wests list , but well down the list provincially . It takes time , and yet we get another " pity party " once again from the Southeast .
Reply to Lou Bell
It wouldn't be shocked to hear it is true though, the air quality in my kids schools are terrible.
The timing of this is not an accident. DECs, like unions, need to be removed, they only serve the people inside of them, not the majority.
Reply to Ronald Miller
Another SANB political football , , just like the Vitalite' overspend . Really , when will Anglophones and their cocerns in NB be acknowledged ? Certainly not by the Liberals .
Reply to Ronald Miller
And you know this because you have first hand knowledge of the Francophone situation correct?
New Brunswick is bilingual. It’s not a question of who represents the majority, that’s obvious, British Empire Loyalists have always been the majority in NB. Don’t like it…change it….or adjust!
These DECs need to be abolished. They're just platforms for activists. I say that as someone who has sat on committees at the school level for seven years running.
Is the DEC a committee? 7 years and never accomplished anything? Did you get paid?
Another DEC blowing through taxpayer cash like water on useless lawsuits ; and then N.B.ers wonder why property taxes are going up . It just never ends as taxpayer's hard earned cash is squandered away .
David Amos
Reply to Matt Steele
Yup
What a waste of taxpayer cash ; these DECs need to go as they don't serve any useful purpose other than wasting taxpayer cash .
Reply to Matt Steele
They won't sue. It's a bluff.
They're trying to pressure Premier Blaine Higgs' government ahead of an election that promises to be a very close call for the Conservatives, if they manage to hang onto power at all.
Now, the Liberals will come out and promise the francophones everything they want in an attempt to buy their votes.
And the Higgs government will be between a rock and a hard place and have to do some internal polling to see if the francophones likely to vote against them in this election because of this issue are in swing ridings where they will make a significant difference to the outcome of the election.
If the francophone vote likely to vote against Higgs on this is in ridings that are already overwhelmingly Liberal, the Conservatives will just call the franophones' bluff.
Reply to James Risdon
Reply to Michel Pelletier
I wouldn't know. I don't talk much with people about their voting intentions.
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"The province would rather flaunt a surprise $500 million surplus than to ensure we have enough resou..."
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That is definitely not true. The Higgs government has spent way more in proportion on the Anglo schools. The rest, he keeps so he can brag about his budget surpluses.
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But we have duality have half filled buses, so there's that.
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Better to keep money for surpluses and paying down the debt for all NB people then squirreling away millions secretly for a games that serves a small minority.
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Didn't Higgs put money towards a few new schools for the anglophones? Dieppe, one of the largest francophone municipalities in NB, is getting a new school... An English one.
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I can't get over people.. That is only 3.8% of the total budget. you try and get a 13 billion dollar project to come in within that amount and you will be a super star and rehired every time. Plus that is only projected we won't know the real amount till later. Maybe they should be like the feds and not tell people the numbers till 6 months after the year is over. The only reason we know this is because the Conservatives are being transparent and report quarterly unlike most other governments. This will go away if Holt gets in then we won't know what is happening.
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All departments have been left aside by Higg's including anglophones education healthcare etc. Higg's has done noting for all the NB Tax payers. I believe that government are elected by the people and for the people
WELL, the Anglophones DO HAVE nine English language school boards that are Constitutionally guaranteed by the Constitution Act 1867, Part VI ---- Distribution of Legislative Powers, Section 93; and MORE IMPORTANTLY, by the Constitution Act 1982, Part I ---- Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Section 23 --- Minority Language Rights.
In addition, there are English language hospitals in Montreal and vicinity.