New Brunswick is getting more than $133 million to help improve French education in the province.
The province has signed a four-year bilateral agreement with the federal government, officials announced Thursday.
The money will help the province strengthen minority-language education and the teaching of French as a second language.
“Our linguistic communities are part of what makes New Brunswick so special. They contribute to our culture, our economy and the very fabric of our province,” Premier Susan Holt said in a news release.
“Thanks to this renewed agreement, we are preparing our young people to seize opportunities and succeed in both official languages.”
Bilateral agreements on minority language education and second official language instruction have been in place for more than 50 years.
Provincial funding is also planned in addition to the federal government’s commitment.
“The co-operation between our two governments is important to support French learning and strengthen linguistic, cultural and economic vitality,” Canadian Identity and Culture Minister Steven Guilbeault said in the release.
According to data from the 2021 census, 37.3 per cent of anglophone sector students aged five to 17 were enrolled in French immersion programs.
Nearly 60 per cent of people aged 25 to 54 who participated in an immersion program in New Brunswick are bilingual.
