French immersion programs teach French as a second language, while FLE teaches the Ontario curriculum entirely in French and in a French cultural setting.

FLE is the right of French-language rights-holders, though non-rights-holders can also apply for FLE.

A rights-holder is a Canadian citizen:

• whose first language learned and still understood is French; OR
• who has received his or her education at the elementary level in French in Canada; OR
• who has a child who has received or who is receiving his or her education at the elementary or secondary level in French in Canada.

If a rights-holder chooses not to send his or her child to a French-language school, the automatic right to FLE for the next generation is lost, and FLE must subsequently be requested as a non-rights-holder.

Yes. Non-rights-holders can submit an application for admission to a FLE school. This request is reviewed by an admissions committee according to a process determined by the school board.

French-language schools welcome newcomers who speak neither of our country’s official languages. Special measures are implemented by school boards to assist both the learner and his or her family to better integrate their community and ensure that the student meets with success at school.

For further information on the admission of students in Ontario seeking French-language education, contact your local school board.

FLE has special programs and services designed specifically to meet the needs of all students accepted in a French-language school.

One of these programs, called Programme d’actualisation de la langue française (ALF), has been developed to meet the needs of students who must develop and improve their proficiency in French in order to succeed academically. Based on an individualized evaluation of the student’s proficiency in French, a program is designed to bring the student’s linguistic competencies up to par. Through differentiated instruction, teachers help students master listening, reading and writing skills in French.

The policy statement and guidelines on the admission, welcoming and support of students receiving a French-language education in Ontario will ensure that every student, regardless of his or her background, receives the appropriate support and programs.

FLE students learn from the same Ontario curriculum as their counterparts in the English public school system. The only difference is that students in FLE schools learn that curriculum in French in a French cultural setting. English taught in FLE schools from elementary school to grade 12 follows the same English curriculum as the one delivered in English schools.

Many FLE schools offer most of the same extra-curricular activities as English schools. As part of FLE’s mandate to transmit French culture to its students, cultural activities are integrated into the French-language curriculum. This is part of the unique FLE learning experience, and helps our students achieve an enviable level of bilingualism.

All teachers in Ontario must satisfy the same certification and training requirements set forth in the Ontario Education Act, and are regulated by the Ontario College of Teachers. French-language teachers additionally benefit from a series of professional development opportunities to address the special training needed to assist FLE students in their identity-building process.

The quality of instruction offered in FLE schools is often viewed as being superior in many ways. Smaller schools and class sizes favour personalized exchange between teacher and learner. Provincial tests also reveal that FLE students outperform students attending English-language schools in Grade 6 mathematics, reading and writing. FLE graduation rates are better than the provincial average.

Yes. FLE students are taught English from early elementary school to grade 12. Our students, like the rest of world, are immersed in an English environment – everywhere except in schools offering a French-language education. All understand English, and most speak English before even enrolling in our schools. In fact, many rights-holders speak a language other than French at home. All FLE students graduate with high levels of competencies in both French and English.

Yes, it can dramatically improve a student’s chances of acceptance into an English-language university. FLE students often outperform the Ontario average university applicant, given their skills in languages. Also, because FLE students are bilingual, their chances of being admitted to the program of their choice are greater, as they can apply at French-language, English-language or bilingual post-secondary institutions and training programs.

The Ontario Ministry of Education has a French-language education Policy and Programs Branch that sets the vision for FLE. It develops resources needed for the FLE system, manages special funding (some of which is transferred from the federal government to support minority language groups) and monitors the results of all school boards according to its unique accountability framework. FLE in Ontario is fully accountable and aligned with the Ministry of Education’s goals.

You can find out more about French-language education by visiting the Ontario Ministry of Education’s website at www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/amenagement.