Dictionary, Census of Population, 2021
Eligibility for instruction in the minority official language

Definition

Eligibility for instruction in the minority official language refers to whether a child is eligible for instruction at the primary and secondary levels in English in Quebec or in French in Canada outside Quebec, pursuant to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms' criteria.

In the 2021 Census, the child eligible for instruction in the minority official language is younger than 18 years of age on December 31, 2020.

Statistical unit(s)

• Person

Classification(s)

• Not applicable

Reported in

2021

Reported for

Total population

Question number(s)

Derived variable: questions 10, 13 to 17 and family relations between people living in the same household, and place of residence.

Responses

Not applicable

Remarks

For the first time, in 2021, five questions on language of instruction were asked on both the short- and long‑form census questionnaires. The primary objective of this addition was to obtain the number of children eligible for instruction in the minority official language based on the criteria set out in section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

"Minority official language" means English in Quebec and French in Canada outside Quebec.

The information collected through the new questions will be used in combination with other existing information from the census, such as first language learned and still understood (hereafter "mother tongue"), family relations between people living in the same household, and place of residence, to obtain the number of children who are eligible for instruction in the minority official language.

Criteria of eligibility

A child whose usual place of residence is in Canada outside Quebec on Census Day is considered eligible for instruction in the minority official language (i.e., French), if at least one of the following criteria is met:

1. At least one parent of the child has French as a mother tongue.
2. At least one parent of the child is attending or has attended a regular French program in a French‑language school in Canada during their primary education.
3. The child is attending or has attended a regular French program in a French‑language school in Canada during their primary or secondary education.
4. A brother or a sister of the child is attending or has attended a regular French program in a French‑language school in Canada during their primary or secondary education.

A child whose usual place of residence is in Quebec is considered eligible for instruction in the minority official language (i.e., English), if at least one of the following criteria is met:

1. At least one parent of the child is attending or has attended an English‑language school in Canada during their primary education.
2. The child is attending or has attended an English‑language school in Canada during their primary or secondary education.
3. A brother or a sister of the child is attending or has attended an English‑language school in Canada during their primary or secondary education.

More information on the variables related to instruction in the minority official language, including definitions, concepts and classifications, the questions from which they are derived and data quality can be found in the Instruction in the Minority Official Language Reference Guide, Census of Population, 2021.

Related 2021 data products

• Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population (98-316-X2021001)
• Eligibility for instruction in the minority official language by age and gender: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (98-10-0534-01)
• Eligibility for instruction in the minority official language by age and gender: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts (98-10-0535-01)
• Eligibility for instruction in the minority official language by criteria of eligibility and single or multiple response indicator: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (98-10-0541-01)
• Eligibility for instruction in the minority official language by detailed eligibility criteria and linguistic characteristics: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (98-10-0536-01)
• Eligibility for instruction in the minority official language by detailed eligibility criteria and linguistic characteristics: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts (98-10-0537-01)