As a result of their deliberations, committees may make recommendations which they include in their reports for the consideration of the House of Commons or the Government. Recommendations related to this study are listed below.

Recommendation 1

That the Government of Canada recognize that adult literacy and essential skills development is an integral part of Canada’s minority-language education continuum and allocate resources to it accordingly.

Recommendation 2

That the Government of Canada’s adult literacy and essential skills development program architecture be designed to include family literacy, community literacy and employment skills development as strategic development priorities for official language minority communities.

Recommendation 3

That the Governor in Council explore the possibility of assigning adult literacy and essential skills development, especially that of official language minority communities, to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and provide the Minister with the resources necessary to successfully manage these matters.

Recommendation 4

That the Minister responsible for adult literacy and essential skills development establish a pan-Canadian strategy that is community-based and reflects the continuum of education and training in the minority language. This strategy must have components that are distinct from those intended for the majority in order to specifically address the needs of official language minority communities.

Recommendation 5

That the Minister responsible for adult literacy and essential skills development review the funding arrangements that concern official language minority communities to ensure that they are consistent with the purpose of and responsibilities arising from the Official Languages Act.

Recommendation 6

That the Minister responsible for adult literacy and essential skills development ensure that support programs meet the needs of official language minority communities:

a)  by applying the principle of substantive equality when designing programs or making any changes; and

b)  by ensuring the programs are tailored to the specific needs of anglophones and francophones in minority communities.

Recommendation 7

That, in the area of intergovernmental cooperation, the Minister responsible for adult literacy and essential skills development ensure the following:

a)  that bilateral agreements with provinces and territories include binding clauses concerning official language minority communities (OLMCs), including clauses respecting consultations with community representatives (identifying the interlocutors and the frequency of consultations) and the accountability obligations of the two levels of government;

b)  that provincial and territorial action plans be public and clearly demonstrate how provincial and territorial governments will meet their respective commitments to OLMCs; and

c)   that the accountability provisions enable OLMCs to determine how much of the federal and provincial or territorial investments are allocated to them.