Conseil scolaire Viamonde
 | The neutrality of this article is disputed. |
| Conseil scolaire Viamonde | |
|---|---|
| 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. They are not officially bilingual school boards. Ontario's regular public schools also maintain French immersion programs.
History
The history of French language rights in Ontario goes back as far as the British North America. Education in French had been tolerated to some degree until the Conservative government banned French education under Regulation XVII in 1912-1913. It was only in the late 1960s that Franco-Ontarians renewed their struggle for French language education rights. French educational rights across Canada are now guaranteed by constitutional rights.
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-Canadian immersion programs.
Alice Ducharme, formerly under the Toronto District School Board, 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.
| 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 |
Controversies
Over CSDCSO's constitutionality
The CSDCSO is a public school board funded by all of Ontario's taxpayers. Le Conseil submits that it covers 68,180 km² – a territory twice the size of Belgium – yet delivers education to slightly over 7000 pupils [1]. Section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms only asserts funding "where the number of those children [being educated] so warrants" [2], and some, for instance a group called Canadian Oppressed Public Servants, feel that the number of pupils is insufficient to guarantee the funding.
Over its integrity and fiscal legitimacy
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. 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 [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
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.