Funding Support under Official Languages in Education Protocol (OLEP)

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On this page:

• School district funding
• Call for Applicants – French Immersion Regional Network
• Additional French Second Language Funding for French Immersion Programs

Every school year, school districts are required to report on how they spent the additional funding received for French education programs. To access these reports, please send a request to: Educ.French.Education@gov.bc.ca

School district funding

2024-2025 School District French Funding Update: Negotiations for the next Official Languages in Education Protocol (OLEP)

OLEP 2019-2023 expired on March 31, 2023, and an interim bilateral agreement was signed for 2023-24. Negotiations are progressing, but have not yet resulted in the signing of a new Protocol.

The Province has received confirmation, however, that additional funds will be made available to support French Second Language Programs (including French Immersion) in the next Protocol.

2024-2025 School Year: the Province understands school districts’ needs for confirmation of funding for the forthcoming school year. The Ministry is therefore preparing a new Interim Measures Agreement for 2024-25 for core OLEP funding. Interim measures will provide school districts with the same level of French funding in 2024-2025 as in 2023-2024.

School Districts can move forward with 2024-2025 programming plans based on 2023-2024 funding levels. When the next Multi-Year Protocol is signed, the new funding parameters, including the additional funds, will be applied retroactively to the 2024-25 Interim Measures Agreement.

School District Funding Allocations for 2023-2024 and 2024-2025

With support from the Government of Canada, the British Columbia Ministry of Education and Child Care provides additional funding to independent schools and school districts offering French education programs (e.g. Francophone, French Immersion, Intensive French and Core French programs).

The following grants are available to school districts:

• Learning Assistance Grant
• E-Learning Technologies Grant
• Learning Resources Grant
• Teacher Professional Development Grant
• Cultural Activities Grant
• Core French Grant
• French Immersion Grant
• Intensive/Enhanced Core French Grant

To learn more about each grant (purpose, criteria, funding formula, etc.), please consult the French Funding Guide (PDF).

Call for Applicants – French Immersion Regional Network

The Ministry of Education and Child Care is seeking to collaborate with leaders from French Immersion programs through the establishment of a French Immersion Regional Network with representatives from: Greater Vancouver, Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island, Southern Interior, Northern Interior.

Collaboration with school districts will help the Ministry to better understand program needs and disseminate important provincial and federal information to schools.

Applicant Profile

• Current administrator working in a French Immersion school, or working in French Immersion at a school district level
• French Immersion classroom experience
• Demonstrated strengths in networking and collaboration
• Understanding and experience working with French federal funding in a school district is an asset
• Ability to participate in networking meetings in French is an asset
• Experience with French language professional development on a provincial or national level is an asset

Commitment

• Regional representatives will be appointed to positions for a duration of at least two years
• Willingness to travel to Vancouver for meetings up to two times per school year (expenses covered by ECC)
• Willingness to participate in at least one virtual meeting per school year
• Interest and willingness to network with colleagues across home district and in neighbouring districts

Interested candidates are invited to submit an email outlining their experience to EDUC.French.Education@gov.bc.ca by June 7^th 2024.

Additional French Second Language Funding for French Immersion Programs (2021-22 to 2023-24):

• In March 2022, the Government of Canada announced that B.C. would receive $22M in additional funding to support French as a Second Language learning and help students across the country achieve greater levels of bilingualism.
• The additional funding supported the growth of French Immersion programs and helped to reduce waitlists in French Immersion programs across the province.

Beyond 2023-2024: The government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia are engaged in ongoing negotiations around the next Official Languages in Education Protocol. The Protocol will extend through to 2028 and encompass an increase in French Second Language Funding. There will be no interim additional French Second Language Funding available to School Districts while the negotiations are underway.