Canadian Heritage announced the signing of the Canada-Nova Scotia Agreement on Minority-Language Education and Second Official Language Instruction on Friday. The funding is expected help the province offer minority language and French education from preschool through post-secondary education, said a news release. The federal government will spend more than $48 million under the agreement, said the release. Nova Scotia is also expected to contribute but did not announce its expected financial commitment. “This funding will help build a more inclusive society in which bilingualism is a shared asset that is essential to our province’s economic and social dynamism,” said Minister Lena Metlege Diab. Minority language education is essential for Nova Scotians because it strengthens linguistic and cultural identity, promotes bilingualism and sustains French in the province, said the release. “Bilingualism is at the heart of Canadian identity and a great source of pride from coast to coast to coast,” said Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages Steven Guilbeault. “The cooperation between our two governments is important to support French learning and strengthen linguistic, cultural and economic vitality.” French plays a key role in supporting the Acadian and Francophone communities in the province said Minister Brendan Maguire. The new agreement covers school years from 2024–25 to 2027–28 as part of the Protocol for Agreements for Minority-Language Education and Second-Language Instruction between the Government of Canada and the Provinces and Territories. The protocol calls for the federal government to spend more than $1.4 billion over four years. The Action Plan for Official Languages from 2023–2028 asks the federal government to spend more than $1.4 billion over five years, the largest amount ever spent by the government on official languages, said the release. French-language minority schools increased by 21.5 per cent from 2005-06 to 2020-21 and the number of French-immersion students rose by 64 per cent according to Statistics Canada. Bilateral agreements that promote minority-language education have been in place with the province for more than 50 years, said the release. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
