Conseil scolaire Viamonde
 | The neutrality of this article is disputed. |
| Conseil scolaire Viamonde | |
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| District information | |
| Budget | 84.085 ($12K per student)[1] |
The Conseil scolaire de district du Centre-Sud-Ouest, also known as CSDCSO or Ontario District School Board #58, manages the French-language schools in the central south-western region of Ontario. The area in which this school board operates covers 68,180 km² of Ontario.[1] Three new schools are scheduled to open in the next few years, in Richmond Hill, Barrie and Windsor.[2]
The CSDCSO is a member of the Association des conseillers(ères) des écoles publique de l'Ontario (ACÉPO) which are French language school boards that not only teach in the French language but function administratively in French. Functiong administratively in French has more to do with providing Franco-Ontarians with exclusive public jobs and the ability to direct educational tax spending toward Franco-Ontarian related business rather than with delivery of Education in the French language. [1] CSDCSO is not officially a bilingual school board. Ontario's regular public schools also maintain French immersion programs that strictly deliver education in French but administrative activities such as office staff, caretaking, and business service functions are in both official languages without discrimination.
History
Franco-Ontarian presence in Ontario dates back to the mid-17th century.
The history of French language rights in Ontario goes back as far as the British North America Act. Education in French was allowed until the Conservative government banned French education under Regulation XVII in 1912-1913 [citation needed]. It was only in the late 1960s that Franco-Ontarians renewed their campaign for French language education rights. French educational rights across Canada are now guaranteed by constitutional rights where the numbers warrant.
Prior to 1998, the Francophone schools in the central south-western region of Ontario were served by 6 divisions under the regular public school board systems that also provide education in English and maintain a French-Language immersion programs that the regular public school boards still maintain today.
In 1993, the Office of the Auditor General of Ontario determined that the quality of instruction in French in Ontario was not equivalent to the instruction offered in English-language schools. The Government of Ontario has established a Royal Commission on Education (the Bégin-Caplan Commission). The Commission's final report, made public January 26, 1995, recommended that Francophones in the province be given full management of their schools.
Following this, the government on Ontario initiated a Study Group to reduce the number of school boards in Ontario (Sweeny Committee). In its report of February 16, 1996, it recommended the creation of 15 French language school boards: 10 catholic and 5 public. The province of Ontario subsequently amended its Education Act by expanding eligibility for education in French and establishing a school-administration structure for the French-language minority.
The Conservative Government of Ontario, heeded these recommendations and created the 12 French-language school boards, including CSDCSO, under the "1997 Fewer School Boards Act ".
Alice Ducharme, formerly under the Conseil des écoles françaises de la communauté urbaine de Toronto, is largely credited as being the founder of CSDCSO together with Ronald Marion, the current acclaimed Chair of the Board of Trustees and the appointed Board President. Mme Ducharme resigned from her position as one top ten (by rate of pay) of all School Board Officials in Ontario; leaving the board in 2001, after holding the possition of Director of Education from only mid 1998 to mid 2001. [2][3] [4][5]. Mme Ducharme was the subject of similar difficulties in her prior similar possition with the Conseil des écoles françaises de la communauté urbaine de Toronto Cite [6]
| French-language school boards prior to the merge in 1998 | Number of schools |
|---|---|
| Conseil des écoles françaises de la communauté urbaine de Toronto (CEFCUT) | 5 elementary schools 2 high schools |
| Conseil scolaire de Niagara Sud | 5 elementary schools 1 high school |
| Conseil de l’éducation du comté de Simcoe | 3 elementary schools 1 high school |
| Conseil de l’éducation de la ville de London | 1 elementary school 1 high school |
| Conseil de l’éducation du comté de Lambton | 1 elementary school 1 high school |
| Conseil de la ville de Hamilton | 1 high school |
CSDCSO's issues
Controversies Over French Language Rights in Ontario
The CSDCSO is a public school board funded by all of Ontario's taxpayers. Le Conseil covers 68,180 km² – a territory twice the size of Belgium – yet claims to deliver education to around 7000 pupils [7]. It is important to note that a significant number of claimed pupils are served by 17 Daycare Centers not normally covered by a publicly funded education system elsewhere. Factoring out the Daycare pupils the board serves around 5000 pupils from JK to 12.
The CSDCSO claims it serves the right of French Language Education services as guaranteed by the Canadian constitution. Section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms asserts funding "where the number of those children [being educated] so warrants" [8]. On the other hand groups, such as Canadian Oppressed Public Servants, feel that the number of pupils must be sufficient to guarantee funding according to the constitution. Various groups have come together under the banner of Canadians for Language Fairness [9].
The constitutionality of this specific school board, and any other French language school boards across Canada where the numbers may not warrant a segregated French only school board are the two sides of this controversy. They are subject to the interpretation of the meanings of relevant sections of the Constitution of Canada. The primary interpreter of the Constitution of Canada is the Supreme Court; however, it must be noted that all members of the Supreme Court of Canada must be functionally bilingual in English and French by virtue of official bilingualism advanced at the Federal Government level among other things.
Freedom of Information Act problems
The school board has been the target of numerous Freedom of Information Act requests for access to its public records generally dealing with management of provincial funding, its hiring practices, and its record keeping of the public funding it receives from the taxpayers. In each case the board has been found in violation of the Freedom of Information Act by the Information and Privacy Commission of Ontario and ordered to comply with the law. [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] Its predecessor, Conseil des écoles françaises de la communauté urbaine de Toronto, had very similar problems complying with its obligations on similar Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Legislation requests for information and records. [15]
The Politics of CSDCSO
Due to the large area covered and so few schools and pupils involved, elections to the Board of Trustees can be obtained from anywhere the board area covers to any other area it covers. This results in a situation where a person living in Brampton could run for the position of Trustee for the ward area of Welland. [16][17][18]There is no requirement for residency or any personal affiliation or connection to the schools or school board ward areas for candidacy. Furthermore, because elections in Ontario must be free to all citizens, even a person who does not understand French can run for and be elected to this board by the votes of area citizens. Interestingly, there has never been any competition for elections on the Board of Trustees with only one person registering as a candidate for any of the twelve available trustee positions, resulting in them all being acclaimed.
Elementary schools
High schools
| High school | Location |
|---|---|
| École secondaire Confédération | Welland, Ontario |
| École secondaire Étienne-Brûlé | North York, Ontario |
| École secondaire Franco-Jeunesse | Sarnia, Ontario |
| École secondaire Gabriel-Dumont | London, Ontario |
| École secondaire Georges-P.-Vanier | Hamilton, Ontario |
| École secondaire Jeunes sans frontières (scheduled to open in January 2007)[2] |
Mississauga, Ontario |
| École secondaire Le Caron | Penetanguishene, Ontario |
| Le Collège français | Toronto, Ontario |
| <Unnamed high school> (construction is scheduled to begin in September 2006)[2] |
Barrie, Ontario |
Some of the other French-language school boards in Ontario
There are other public French-language school boards in Ontario:
- Conseil des écoles publiques de l'Est de l'Ontario (CÉPEO)
- Conseil scolaire de district du Grand Nord de l'Ontario (CSDGNO)
- Conseil scolaire de district du Nord-Est de l'Ontario (CSDNE)
- Conseil scolaires de district 56
- Ottawa-Carleton French-language School Board
Ontario School Board Estimates for 1999-2000 = Number of boards / Number of students
- English Public boards = 31 / 1,440,710
- French Public boards = 4 / 19,633
- English Catholic boards = 29 / 596,046
- French Catholic boards = 8 / 74,184
- School Authorities = 37 (33 as of January 2001) / 2,866
References
- a b c d "Rapport annuel 2004-2005" (PDF). Rapports annuels. Retrieved 2006-06-03.
- a b "Projets de construction en capital". Le site du Conseil de district du Centre-Sud-Ouest. Retrieved 2006-06-03.
- a "Conseil scolaire de district du Centre Sud-Ouest". School Board Profiles. Retrieved 2006-06-04.