Canada–Québec Agreement on the Implementation of the Action Plan for Official Languages – 2024–25 to 2027–28

On this page

• 1. Definitions
• 2. Purpose of the Agreement
• 3. Purpose of Canada’s contribution
• 4. Maximum amount of Canada’s contribution
• 5. Duration
• 6. Coordination
• 7. Dispute resolution
• 8. Assignment
• 9. Applicable laws
• 10. Notice
• 11. Amendment
• 12. Content of the agreement
• 13. Signatures
• Schedule 1 – Financial Contribution of Canada
• Schedule 2 – General Terms and Conditions
• Schedule 3 – Communications
• Schedule 4 – Overview Of Québec’s Initiatives For English-Language Education, French And English Second-Language Instruction, And Québec Services In English

Between: His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, represented by the Minister of State (Official Languages), hereinafter called “Canada”,

And: the Government of Québec, represented by the Minister of Finance and Minister responsible for Relations with English-speaking Québecers and the Minister responsible for Canadian Relations, hereinafter called “Québec”,

Hereinafter referred to individually as a “Party” or collectively as the “Parties”.

Whereas Québec recognizes the will of Quebecers, expressed in the Charter of the French Language (CQLR, chapter C-11), to ensure the quality and influence of the French language. It is therefore resolved to make French the language of the Government and the Law, as well as the normal and everyday language of work, instruction, communication, commerce and business;

Whereas Québec recognizes in accordance with the Charter of the French Language (CQLR, chapter C-11), French is the only common language of the Québec nation, and it is essential that all be aware of the importance of this language and of Québec culture as elements that bind society together. Québec is therefore resolved to ensure that everyone has access to learning this language, to perfect their knowledge and mastery of that language, and to make French the language of integration;

Whereas Québec recognizes under the Charter of the French Language (CQLR, chapter C-11), it is incumbent on the Parliament of Québec to confirm the status of French as the official language and common language in the territory of Québec and to enshrine the paramountcy of that status in Québec’s legal order, while ensuring a balance between the collective rights of the Québec nation and human rights and freedoms;

Whereas French and English are the official languages of Canada, as recognized by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, as well as by the Official Languages Act, and whereas Canada recognizes its responsibilities and undertakings with respect to those languages;

Whereas Canada recognizes the importance of securing the future of French in Québec and supporting the development of Francophone minority communities to protect and promote the French language in Canada;

Whereas Canada recognizes the status of French as a minority language in Canada and North America and is committed to protecting and promoting French outside Québec, as well as within Québec;

Whereas Canada, within the framework of its Official Languages Act and its official languages policy, collaborates with provincial and territorial governments to promote the equality of status and use of English and French, to support the vitality and development of official-language minority communities and to ensure their full participation in Canadian society;

Whereas the Charter of the French Language (CQLR, chapter C-11) establishes that French is the official language of Québec, that only this language has this status, that French is also the only common language of the Québec nation and constitutes one of the foundations of its identity and distinct culture, and that Canada intends to support its vitality in the current pan-Canadian context;

Whereas pursuant to section 59 of the Constitution Act, 1982, paragraph 23 (1) (a) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is not in force in Québec;

Whereas Québec’s Public Administration Act (CQLR, chapter A-6.01) stipulates that each ministry must establish a multi-year strategic plan and submit an annual management report to the National Assembly presenting the results obtained in relation to the objectives set out in the strategic plan;

Whereas the Parties recognize the linguistic specificity of Québec and the challenges and responsibilities that arise from it;

Whereas the Parties recognize the valuable contribution of English-speaking Quebecers and their institutions to the development of Québec and their desire to participate fully in Québec society;

Whereas the Government of Québec takes into account the concerns and needs of English-speaking Quebecers in its orientations and in the deployment of public services on its territory and has, to this end, set up the Secretariat for Relations with English-Speaking Quebecers to ensure liaison with the sectoral, regional and provincial groups that represent English-speaking Quebecers;

Whereas in exercising its exclusive jurisdiction, particularly in education and health, Québec is responsible for determining priorities and objectives, defining content and evaluating its programs and services within its territory;

Whereas the Parties recognize the importance of supporting the education continuum in Québec to foster the academic achievement of its population, including English-speaking Quebecers;

Whereas Québec promotes equity in access to public services for its entire population, including English-speaking Quebecers, in compliance with the laws applicable in Québec;

Whereas Québec has informed Canada of its intention to reach a comprehensive agreement to obtain its share of funds from the Action Plan for Official Languages and will continue the dialogue with Canada in this regard;

And whereas an agreement between the Parties must be established for the period 2024-25 to 2027-28 to provide Québec with federal funds for the implementation of the Action Plan for Official Languages 2023-28: Protection-Promotion-Collaboration, particularly for minority-language education and second-language instruction, as well as for the provision of Québec services in English;

Therefore, this Agreement confirms that the Parties hereto agree as follows:

1. Definitions

The following definitions apply to this Agreement.

“Bilateral Agreement” refers to any agreement signed by the Parties that specifies the general objectives and main initiatives for which Canada provides financial support, and that sets out Canada’s commitments, obligations and financial contributions.

“Complementary contribution” applies to funding from Canadian Heritage used to support the implementation of specific projects by the Government of Québec for minority-language education, including community educational infrastructure, second-language instruction or English-language services.

“Education” and “Instruction”, unless otherwise specified, refers to preschool, primary, secondary (including general adult education and vocational training) and postsecondary (colleges and universities) levels, as well as continuing education offered to educational staff.

“Expenses” applies to any accounting of transactions related to activities at the time they occur.

“Key stakeholders” applies to stakeholders who play a key role in minority language education and second language instruction, as well as stakeholders who receive services from Québec and municipal services in English.

“Minority language” applies to English and “second language” or “second languages” applies to French and/or English.

“Postsecondary” refers to the college and university education levels that follow compulsory education under the responsibility of the Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur of Québec.

“Preschool” includes the levels of education that precede compulsory education when they are under the responsibility of the Ministère de l’Éducation of Québec but does not create any additional obligations for Québec.

“Program”, with respect to minority language education, refers to all activities or initiatives to support teaching and learning at a given level provided in the minority language by a minority-language school or postsecondary institution.

“Program”, with respect to second language instruction, refers to all the activities or initiatives to support teaching and learning of the second language at a given level provided by a school or postsecondary institution.

“Services” applies to the provision of Québec and municipal services in English as a means of promoting the development and vitality of English-speaking communities.

“School year”, unless otherwise specified, refers to the period beginning July 1st of a calendar year and ending June 30th of the following calendar year.

2. Purpose of the Agreement

2.1 The purpose of this Agreement is to establish the terms and conditions for the payment to Québec of Canada’s financial contribution to support the implementation of Québec’s main initiatives in minority-language education, second-language instruction and support for the various Québec services in English, for the fiscal years 2024-25 to 2027-28.

To this end, the Parties agree that the transferred funds will support the following main objectives:

2.1.1 Contribute to offering members of Québec’s English-speaking minority community, in compliance with the applicable laws in Québec, the opportunity to be educated in their mother tongue and to participate in the cultural enrichment of their community.

2.1.2 Contribute to offering Québec learners the opportunity to learn English or French as a second language, and thus benefit from cultural enrichment, in compliance with applicable laws in Québec.

2.1.3 Support the planning and delivery of services in English as a means of fostering the development and vitality of Québec’s English-speaking community, in compliance with applicable laws in Québec.

3. Purpose of Canada’s contribution

3.1 Subject to the provisions of this Agreement, Canada shall contribute to the costs associated with the implementation of Québec’s initiatives in the areas of minority-language education, second-language instruction and support for the various services provided by Québec in English, the main ones are presented in Schedule 4 (“Overview of Québec’s initiatives for English-language education, French and English second-language instruction, and Québec services in English”). In this regard, it will be up to Québec to set priorities and objectives, define content and evaluate programs and services within its territory.

4. Maximum amount of Canada’s contribution

4.1 Subject to compliance with all the terms and conditions of this Agreement, and in accordance with sections 2 and 3, Canada’s financial contribution will total the lesser of a maximum amount of three hundred and forty-three million five hundred and fifteen thousand two hundred and fifty-four dollars ($343,515,256) or the total expenditures for the term of this Agreement.

4.2 Québec will benefit from other financial contributions from Canada through separate collaboration agreements aimed at supporting the protection and promotion of French in Québec.

4.3 Canada will provide Québec with the following total financial contributions annually:

Table 1 shows Canada's total financial contribution to support the protection and promotion of French in Quebec for the 2024-2025 to 2027-2028 fiscal years.

4.4 Planned breakdown of the maximum amount

4.4.1 The planned breakdown of the maximum amount of Canada’s financial contribution for each of the fiscal years covered by this Agreement is described in Schedule 1.

4.5 Complementary Contributions of Canada

4.5.1 Canada may make additional contributions to Québec in addition to the amount provided for in paragraph 4.1 of this Agreement, subject to required approvals, to support one-time initiatives that respond to emerging priorities identified by the Government of Québec for minority-language education, second-language instruction and the provision of Québec services in English.

4.5.2 In the event that Canada provides a complementary contribution to Québec for the implementation of the Action Plan for Official Languages 2023-2028 during the term of this Agreement, it shall be amended accordingly in respect with the terms and conditions set out in section 11 of this Agreement.

5. Duration

5.1 This Agreement will take effect on the date of its last signature and will cease, subject to its termination on a prior date, on March 31, 2028.

5.2 This Agreement covers Canada’s financial contribution, for the period beginning April 1, 2024, and ending March 31, 2028, to Québec’s initiatives for minority-language education, second-language instruction and support for Québec’s various English-language services, the main components of which are presented in Schedule 4.

5.3 All the obligations of the Parties shall, expressly or by their nature, survive termination or expiry of this Agreement, until and unless they are fulfilled or by their nature expire.

6. Coordination

6.1 The Parties’ representatives agree to hold an annual bilateral meeting at a time mutually agreed upon, to review the implementation of this Agreement.

7. Dispute resolution

7.1 In the event of a dispute arising under the terms of this Agreement, the Parties agree to try to make a good faith attempt to settle the dispute. In the event that the Parties cannot resolve the dispute through negotiation, they agree to give good faith consideration to using an alternate method to resolve the dispute.

8. Assignment

8.1 This Agreement, and any benefit thereunder, may not be assigned without prior written approval from Canada.

9. Applicable laws

9.1 This Agreement is governed by and interpreted in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations in force in Québec.

10. Notice

10.1 Any notice, request, information or any other document required under this Agreement shall be deemed given if it is delivered or sent by email or mail. Any notice delivered in person shall be deemed to have been received upon delivery; any notice sent by email shall be deemed to have been received one (1) working day after it is sent; any notice that is mailed shall be deemed to have been received eight (8) working days after being mailed.

10.2 All notices shall be sent to the following addresses:

To Québec:

Secrétariat aux relations avec les Québécois d’expression anglaise
390, boulevard Charest Est
Québec, QC  G1K 3H4
srqea.info@finances.gouv.qc.ca

To Canada:

Official Languages Branch
Department of Canadian Heritage
15 Eddy Street, 7th Floor
Gatineau, QC  J8X 4B3
fptlo-fptol@pch.gc.ca

11. Amendment

11.1The Parties may, subject to the written consent of each and any required approvals, amend or terminate this Agreement while it is in effect.

12. Content of the agreement

12.1 This Agreement, including the following schedules that form an integral part of it and subsequent formal amendments to them, constitutes the entire Agreement between the Parties and supersedes all previous and future documents, negotiations, understandings and undertakings related to its subject matter. The Parties acknowledge having read this Agreement and agree with its content.

• Schedule 1 – Financial Contribution of Canada
• Schedule 2 – General Terms and Conditions
• Schedule 3 – Communications
• Schedule 4 – Overview of Québec’s initiatives for English-language education, French and English second-language instruction, and Québec services in English

13. Signatures

13.1 This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which will be deemed to be an original and all of which, taken together, will be deemed to constitute one and the same instrument.

In witness whereof, the Parties have signed this Agreement on the following dates.

On behalf of Canada

The Honourable Rachel Bendayan
Minister of State (Official Languages)

On behalf of Québec

Simon Jolin-Barette
Minister responsible for Canadian Relations

Eric Girard
Minister of Finance and Minister responsible for Relations with English-speaking Quebecers

Schedule 1 – Financial Contribution of Canada

1. Canada’s financial contribution will total the lesser of a maximum amount designated below or the total expenditures for the duration of this Agreement. Canada will provide Québec with the following total annual financial contributions for the implementation of Québec’s initiatives for minority-language education, second-language instruction and support for Québec’s various English-language services, the main components of which are set out in Schedule 4.

1.1 Canada shall provide Québec with funding from the “English minority- language”, “French Second-Language” and “English Second-Language” lines annually to implement Québec’s initiatives for minority-language education and second-language instruction.

1.2 Canada shall provide Québec with additional contributions from the “Postsecondary Minority-Language” line annually to increase support for postsecondary minority-language education.

1.3 Canada shall provide Québec with additional contributions from the “Recruitment and Retention – Minority-Language” and “Recruitment and Retention – French Second-Language” lines annually to increase support for recruitment and retention of teachers in French-language minority schools and in French Second-Language and French immersion programs.

1.4 Canada shall provide Québec with funding from the “English-Language Services” line annually for the implementation of Québec’s initiatives relating to English-language services.

Table 2 shows a breakdown of Canada’s financial contribution for the 2024–25 to 2027–28 period.

Schedule 2 – General Terms and Conditions

1. Terms of payment

1.1 Canada’s annual contributions to Québec’s main initiatives for minority-language education, second-language instruction and support for Québec’s various English-language services, the main ones of which are set out in Schedule 4, will be paid as follows:

First payments

1.1.1 For the first fiscal year (2024-2025) of this Agreement, a first payment representing eighty percent (80%) of Canada’s financial contribution shall be made following the signing of this Agreement;

1.1.2 for each subsequent fiscal year, a first payment representing eighty percent (80%) of Canada’s financial contribution shall be made within approximately forty-five (45) days following the beginning of the fiscal year;

Second and final payments

1.1.3 for each fiscal year of this Agreement, a second and final payment, not exceeding the balance of Canada’s financial contribution, shall be made within approximately thirty (30) days following September 30 of the fiscal year in question.

1.2 Canada’s complementary contributions, if applicable, for emerging priorities identified by Québec under the provisions of paragraph 4.5 of this Agreement shall be paid to Québec in the same manner.

2. Financial statements and reports

2.1 The Parties agree that they shall be accountable to Parliament, to the National Assembly of Québec and to the public for the proper use of the funds provided for in this Agreement and for the results achieved through these investments.

2.2 In keeping with Québec’s accountability mechanisms towards its citizens, Québec will use the annual management reports it submits annually to the Québec National Assembly, for each of the fiscal years covered by this Agreement, to meet this purpose.

2.3 Québec’s reports will comply with the laws and regulations applicable in Québec, including those relating to privacy and access to information.

2.4 Québec’s reports shall be prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and shall be certified by a person duly authorized by Québec.

2.5 For each fiscal year, Québec shall indicate, through the reports provided for in this section, the amounts spent in connection with the implementation of the initiatives described in Schedule 4 of this Agreement.

2.6 Québec will report in the manner it deems most appropriate given its particular circumstances. If, once the information has been submitted, Canada believes that there is a need to clarify and determine the relevance of the information presented in Québec’s reports, Québec agrees to hold discussions with Canada and to provide additional information on the implementation of this Agreement and the use of federal investments. Depending on the information available, Québec may adapt the documents in question, if necessary.

2.7 If necessary, Québec shall also provide Canada, before March 31st of each fiscal year, with confirmation that its expenditures exceed federal contributions. The certification form, to be provided by Canada, shall be signed by a person duly authorized by Québec.

3. Eligible expenditures

3.1 For the purposes of this Agreement, expenses for each of the initiatives described in Schedule 4 are eligible since they meet Québec’s priorities.

3.2 Expenditures during a fiscal year for initiatives described in Schedule 4 will be considered eligible expenses for the fiscal year in question.

4. Use of funds

4.1 Québec will use Canada’s funding based on its priorities and the initiatives described in Schedule 4.

4.2 The Parties agree that transfers of funds between the lines indicated in Schedule 1 are permitted, except for funds devoted to postsecondary minority-language education, to the recruitment and retention of teachers in French-language schools and in French second-language and French immersion programs, as well as to English-language services.

4.3 Transfers of funds will be discussed in a timely manner between the Parties. With regards to transfers of funds between the education linguistic objectives (set out in subparagraphs 2.1.1 and 2.1.2 of the Agreement), the Parties, after discussion, shall mutually agree on the conclusions of these transfers in writing.

5. Carry forward

5.1 Québec may retain and carry forward to the next fiscal year an amount of up to 10 percent of the contribution paid to Québec for a fiscal year, and use the amount carried forward for expenses related to activities related to this Agreement for the subsequent fiscal year.

5.2 Any request by Québec to retain and carry forward an amount greater than 10 percent of the federal contribution will be the subject of discussion and mutual agreement between the Parties, which will be confirmed in writing.

5.3 The amount carried over from one financial year to the subsequent financial year will be added to the maximum amount payable to Québec for the given subsequent financial year.

5.4 Any amount carried forward under paragraph 5.1 of this Schedule must be spent during the term of this Agreement. Québec may not retain any amount carried forward that has not been spent after the last fiscal year of this Agreement.

6. Overpayment

6.1 The Parties agree that, if the payments made to Québec exceed the amounts to which Québec is entitled during the term of this Agreement, the overpayment constitutes a debt owed to Canada and must be returned to it.

6.2 Where an amount owed to Canada has not been repaid under this Agreement, an amount equal to the amount owed may be retained by way of a deduction or an amount established on any sum of money which may be due or payable to Québec under other instruments concluded between the Parties.

7. Financial audits

7.1 In the event a financial audit is deemed necessary within a period of up to five (5) years after the end of this Agreement, the Parties agree that it would be conducted by the Auditor General of Québec.

8. Consultation

8.1 Québec will consult, when it deems it necessary and according to its own mechanisms, the main stakeholders in its network as well as its partners regarding the initiatives implemented which are the subject of a contribution from Canada under this Agreement.

9. Evaluation

9.1 Québec is responsible for evaluating education programs and initiatives within its jurisdiction. Québec may share the results of these evaluations with Canada.

9.2 Canada’s programs, including the Development of Official-Language Communities Program, Minority-Language Education Component, and the Enhancement of Official Languages Program, Second-Language Learning Component, are routinely evaluated. Canada agrees to consult Québec on any future evaluation of its programs and to seek its opinion on such evaluations. Canada may share with Québec the results of those evaluations.

Schedule 3 – Communications

1. Public information

1.1 The Parties agree that once signed, this Agreement and related reports, including evaluations, audits and other reviews regarding this Agreement, may be made available to the public by either Party.

2. Joint communications

2.1 The Parties shall designate communications contacts who will be responsible for overseeing coordinated communications to the Canadian public.

2.2 Any announcement or public communication on this Agreement shall be agreed to by both Parties.

2.3 All joint communications material shall be approved by both Parties prior to release and shall provide equal recognition of both Parties’ financial contribution.

2.4 Québec shall allow Canada to participate in milestone events related to this Agreement and shall inform Canada of the proposed activities planned for these events.

2.5 Canada and Québec agree that joint communications and publications related to this Agreement will be available in English and French on separate media. All communications and publications of Canada shall be published in English and French. Québec’s communications and publications will be published in the official language of Québec, French. They may be made available in English, upon request, in accordance with the Government of Québec’s language policy.

3. Individual communications

3.1 Notwithstanding section 2 of this Schedule, the Parties retain the right to meet their respective obligations to communicate information to the public about this Agreement and the use of funds through their own communications processes.

3.2 The Parties shall recognize each other’s financial contribution to this Agreement when conducting public communications, including, without being limited to, speeches, news releases, public announcements, websites and provincial departmental and agency reports.

3.3 Québec shall take all reasonable initiatives that any other recipient of Canada’s financial contribution, including school boards, school service centres and postsecondary institutions, refers to the contributions, where appropriate, in the publicity relating to this Agreement.

3.4 Canada’s communications and publications will be published in English and French. Québec’s communications and publications will be published in the official language of Québec, French. They may be made available in English, upon request, in accordance with the Government of Québec’s language policy.

4. Media relations

4.1 The Parties will share information promptly should significant media inquiries be received or should questions be raised by the media or stakeholders regarding this Agreement.

Schedule 4 – Overview Of Québec’s Initiatives For English-Language Education, French And English Second-Language Instruction, And Québec Services In English

In 2017, the Québec government created the Secrétariat aux relations avec les Québécois d’expression anglaise (SRQEA), which is responsible for ensuring that the concerns of English-speaking Quebecers are taken into account in government orientations and decisions, in collaboration with the relevant government ministries and bodies.

Under the responsibility of the Minister Responsible for Relations with English-Speaking Quebecers, the SRQEA administers the Renforcer la vitalité des communautés (strengthening community vitality) funding program. Through this program, Québec places particular emphasis on strengthening the capacity of local and regional English-speaking community organizations across the province to better meet the needs and priorities of these communities. In particular, the funding allocated allows community organizations to diversify their services or extend their geographic reach by opening new points of service, and in so doing promotes the full participation of their members in Québec’s social, cultural and economic life.

In addition, two other measures are aimed specifically at seniors (Seniors Wellness Program) and the employment sector.

Over the coming years, the Québec government will continue to invest in priority sectors for English-speaking Quebecers.

Québec maintains its position as a long-standing leader in addressing the particular needs of English-speaking Quebecers and is investing in several sectors. Québec’s measures (below), which will be supported by federal funding, will be in addition to a number of other existing measures aimed specifically at English-speaking Quebecers.

1. Promoting, enhancing and protecting the French language

Promoting, enhancing and protecting the French language is a priority for the Québec government. To this end, Québec is implementing and supporting a number of initiatives aimed at developing skills in French as a second language, particularly in schools and workplaces.

2. Minority-language education and French-second-language instruction

Québec has an education system and infrastructure in place to offer quality education to learners at the preschool, primary and secondary levels, as well as at the higher education level (college and university). Education, a constitutional jurisdiction exclusive to Québec, remains a priority for the Québec government.

For the Ministère de l’Éducation du Québec, in 2022-2023, funding of $1,165 billion was allocated in the public (school boards) and private English-language systems for the teaching of English-language education and French as a second language.

Expenditures by the Ministère de l’Éducation for 2023-2024 total $20.1 billion, in addition to $22.7 billion in investments by the Éducation sector under the 2024-2034 Québec Infrastructure Plan. From 2018-2019 to 2023-2024, expenditures in the Éducation portfolio grew by 34.7%.

The English-language education network receives annual funding from the Québec government for all levels of education, for both English-language education and French as a second language. Québec’s initiatives are as follows:

Minority-language education

• Ensure quality educational programs and teaching in the minority language.
• Take the steps necessary to apply the policy on educational success and the action plan for success in higher education.
• Develop teaching materials and linguistic tools.
• Develop professional resources in educational technology and digital pedagogy.
• Ensure the development, adaptation and translation of English-language resources.
• Develop resources and services to support learners with special needs in the English language.
• Produce adapted tests for assessing learners.
• Apply research data in decision-making to improve learner success rates.

French-second-language instruction

• Ensure the provision of French as a second language (FSL) instruction to English-speaking Quebecers through the English-language education network at the elementary, secondary and postsecondary levels.
• Provide quality educational services for learning FSL.
• Develop pedagogical tools to support the teaching of FSL.
• Offer FSL skills development for English-language school boards and higher education institutions.
• Support the English-language education network in welcoming students from immigrant backgrounds and improving their FSL proficiency.
• Promote language exchanges for students.
• Implement FSL measures to welcome students from outside Québec.
• Support English-speaking Quebecers in their efforts to find employment and integrate into the workplace.
• Support participation in Explore for students from northern or remote regions.

English-second-language instruction

• Support the teaching of English as a second language (ESL) to Quebecers through the education network (primary, secondary and postsecondary levels).
• Provide quality educational services for learning ESL.
• Develop pedagogical tools to support the teaching of ESL.
• Offer ESL skills development for school service centres and higher education institutions.
• Promote language exchanges for students.
• Support language exchange programs and stays outside Québec.
• Support mobility grant programs for vocational training.
• Support international language assistant programs.
• Promote Odyssée, the Canadian second-language monitor program.
• Support participation in Explore for students from northern and remote regions.

Postsecondary education in the minority language

For the Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur, expenditures for 2023-2024 amount to $10.5 billion, in addition to $8.5 billion in investments under the 2024-2034 Québec Infrastructure Plan.

In the fall of 2023, the public college network welcomed more than 200,500 students in its 48 CEGEPs, including 5 English-language ones. The 21 subsidized private college institutions, including 2 English-language ones, welcomed a total of more than 26,000 students. Lastly, the 20 university establishments, including 3 English-language ones, enrolled more than 311,000 students.

In 2023-2024, the Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur of Québec provided $1,422 billion in funding to public and private English-language postsecondary institutions for the teaching of English-language education and FSL. From 2018-2019 to 2023-2024, expenditures in the Enseignement supérieur portfolio grew by 33.1%. In the particular context of An Act respecting French, the official and common language of Québec, enacted on June 1, 2022, amending the Charter of the French Language, investments will have to continue to ensure that institutions provide sufficient support to achieve student success objectives. For students at English-language postsecondary institutions, new language requirements have been included in the Act. These include additional courses in FSL and/or regular courses in French.

• Support measures needed to implement the Action Plan for Success in Higher Education 2021-2026 (PDF, in French only).
• Provide measures to support institutions in implementing the language requirements of the act to amend the Charter of the French Language.
• Study the geographic and socioeconomic factors that influence access to higher education, and propose directions to address the specific issues of English-speaking communities in Québec.
• Support colleges and universities in diversifying access routes to services offered to the English-speaking student community in order to foster their educational success.
• Support the study of the impact of practices and measures implemented in English-language colleges and universities to promote student success.
• Fund school and community infrastructure projects for English-speaking communities.

Recruitment and retention of French-language teachers

• Implement recruitment strategies and initiatives to attract, recruit and retain qualified applicants for positions as school personnel, teachers, professionals and support staff providing direct services to students.
• Support the professional development of school personnel by making available to all school personnel a platform listing professional development offerings.
• Improve the supervision of teacher trainees.
• Implement a reference framework for the occupational integration of the teaching staff.
• Strategy to promote the recognition of school staff: Thousands of talents to support our students — 2022-2026 (PDF).

Recruitment and retention of FSL teachers

• Implement recruitment strategies and initiatives to attract, recruit and retain qualified applicants for positions as school personnel, teachers, professionals and support staff providing direct services to students.
• Support the professional development of college and university teachers in the teaching of French and FSL.
• Provide refresher training and support services for new FSL teachers.
• Support the professional development of school personnel by making available to all school personnel a platform listing professional development offerings.
• Improve the supervision of teacher trainees.
• Implement a reference framework for the occupational integration of the teaching staff.
• Strategy to promote the recognition of school staff: Thousands of talents to support our students — 2022-2026 (PDF);

3. Services in English

Services in English include those related to health, social services and justice. Québec’s priorities for health and social services are set out in the 2023-2027 Strategic Plan (PDF, in French only) of the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (MSSS). They focus on the delivery of services to the population by the MSSS, as well as the establishments in the Québec healthcare network. The government’s commitment to maintaining, improving and restoring the health and well-being of English-speaking Quebecers is based on Québec’s priorities.

In the area of health and social services, access to information in English for English-speaking individuals is crucial to their participation, whether on a collective level for program planning and implementation, or on an individual level for successful clinical intervention. The MSSS has therefore implemented measures to improve access to information in English, and to help the English-speaking community navigate the health and social services network more easily.

Patient Navigator project

In collaboration with the MSSS, the Community Health and Social Services Network has put in place community liaison measures, integrating aspects of information and navigation, patient support, as well as cultural and linguistic mediation. It is vital to help patients navigate the health services system, and to assist the system in providing these services. To have a significant impact on patients’ ability to access quality services in English, it is necessary to provide community liaison and navigation services for patients. There are several examples in communities in eastern Québec where a liaison person (called a patient navigator) either accompanies patients to access healthcare services or helps the system provide better access.