Gratien Allaire

From Nouvelle-France to Francophonie Canadienne : a historical survey

Abstract From the time when France settled New France in the seventeenth century to the present, the French-speaking population went from a majority in a French colony to a minority in an English-speaking country. It was at first located in three areas: Canada, Acadia, and Louisiana. It expanded from the St. Lawrence Valley and the province of Quebec to New England and in many areas of the other provinces of Canada. They brought with them their language, their culture, their institutions and, to a very large extent, their way of life. For a long time, language and religion were the main characteristics of French Canada and Acadia. Change and the welfare state affected them very profoundly in the 1960s and after. The federal government took a series of positive measures, including the Official Languages Act and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and contributed to the survival and development of francophone communities. While Quebec asserted its difference, developed an independence movement, and paradoxically played a central role in the recent evolution of Canada, French Canada became la francophonie canadienne, comprised of Acadie and provincial minority communities, with the recent return of Quebec.

Dropping out of School: Recommendations of Ontario Francophone Youths on how to Deal with the Problem

This document presents the executive summary of a research project undertaken to provide a national overview of the dimensions of the dropout problem, focusing specifically on gender differences; and to identify strategies that are being used to address the dropout problem, assess effectiveness of these strategies, and suggest ways that these strategies could be implemented elsewhere. It describes a research review and site visits to nine dropott programs. Findings are reported in two sections. The first section examines data on dropouts and presents major findings about differences in the dropout problem between males and females in the areas of the magnitude of the dropout problem, characteristics of school dropouts and returners, reasons students drop out of school, and consequences of dropping out of school. Findings related to promising education strategies are presented in the second section. General observations are discussed and guidelines are recommended for program designers to use in structuring dropout prevention efforts, including: (1) direct dropout prevention efforts at younger students who are potential dropouts; (2) establish linkages between different levels of schooling to facilitate student transition; (3) keep dropout prevention programs small in size; (4) focus programs initially on basic skills; (5) provide students with concerned adults; (6) provide students with regular feedback about progress; and (7) link job training to long-term employlent. Recommendations for federal policy are made. (NB) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ***** ***** ** ******* **** ***** * ****** ****************** ************** **** 0 C\ I v-I v-II DROPPING OUT OF SCHOOL EXECUTIVE SUMMARY