New Resources for Acadian Schools Introduced
Students in Nova Scotia’s Acadian schools are getting new classroom resources that reflect francophone culture in this province. The Department of Education is launching several new materials to support French curricula.
"We’re fortunate to have a diverse mix of cultures in Nova Scotia and it’s important that our children see this diversity in their classroom materials," said Education Minister Jane Purves. "With these new resources, students in Acadian schools will see more of their own culture and heritage reflected in their studies."
The launch coincides with International Francophonie Day, celebrated by French-speaking people around the world. This global francophone community is known as la Francophonie.
“I am very proud to see learning resources that have been developed here in Nova Scotia for our Acadian schools," said Acadian Affairs Minister Neil LeBlanc. "I am also very pleased to see that many immersion schools will benefit from these materials and discover new aspects of the francophone community at both the local and the international levels."
Three new resources have been developed for classroom use.
La Francophonie: d’hier à demain focuses on the French language and the many areas in the world where it is spoken. It is designed to support a global-geography curriculum.
Changer de siècle explores life at the turn of the century in the French village of Nouvelle-France, near Nova Scotia’s Baie Ste-Marie. It includes the story of the Stehelin family, who came from France and worked with Acadians on innovations such as electricity and a railway line. The resource will support several curricula in both French and immersion schools.
A companion piece, Les Stehelin et la Nouvelle-France, is a simpler telling of the story of the Stehelin family’s experience. It will be used for elementary-school students and those studying French as a second language.
Changer de siècle and Les Stehelin et la Nouvelle-France make up the department’s Acadie de la Nouvelle-France project which received up to $47,500 through the Canada Millennium Partnership Program.
"The Government of Canada was proud to support the Acadie de la Nouvelle-France project," said Herb Gray, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister responsible for the Government of Canada’s millennium initiative. "Thanks to these new learning resources, Nova Scotia’s Acadian youth, as well as all students attending immersion schools, will have the opportunity to discover an important part of their history and heritage."
Two other resources -- a video and a booklet -- have been produced to help school boards inform parents about the benefits of Acadian schools. They were developed by the Fédération des parents acadiens de la Nouvelle-Écosse in partnership with the department.
The new resources demonstrate governments’ commitment to ensure that the education system reflects the diverse nature of Nova Scotia communities. They will be introduced today during a reception in Province House from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. All are welcome to attend.