Medicine Hat, and Canmore, among others. FrancoSud’s growth is a testament to the increasing demand for Francophone education in Alberta. “We have grown quite a bit since the merger of the two school boards, and we are fully publicly funded,” says FrancoSud President Hélène Emmell, emphasizing that FrancoSud is a fully publicly funded school authority, equivalent in status to other public school boards like Calgary Catholic or the Calgary Board of Education (CBE). There is often a misconception that Francophone schools are charter schools; however, FrancoSud operates under the same public funding model as other Alberta school boards. The authority’s primary mission is to provide excellent education while ensuring that all right holders in Alberta, under Article 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, have access to Francophone education. This commitment to both educational excellence and the protection of linguistic rights is at the heart of FrancoSud’s mission. FrancoSud prides itself on being a diverse and inclusive educational institution. With 3,981 students enrolled from Kindergarten to Grade 12, the education region celebrates its cultural and linguistic diversity. While the Indigenous student population within FrancoSud is not large, the region is committed to addressing their specific needs and advancing reconciliation efforts. This is done through tailored programming that respects and celebrates Indigenous culture. One of the defining features of FrancoSud’s educational approach is the dual emphasis on bilingualism. This focus differentiates Francophone schools from French Immersion programs offered by Anglophone school districts, which are designed for students learning French as a second language. 4 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 09
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