Participation and Exercising Pupils’ Citizenship at French-Language Elementary School in Ontario

This article first describes the evolution which allowed the child to be considered as an actor. In this vein, citizenship education programs at school are discussed, although they do not often take into account exercising citizenship in the school context and children’s voice. Research results from a broader project on how students represent their school experience in French-language schools in Ontario are analyzed specifically with respect to what a welcoming school means for them. The methodology uses an inductive approach and the data were gathered from administering a questionnaire designed for children, observation and semi-directed interviews. The results show the impact of school culture and school form on the exercise of students' citizenship, the topics they address, their concerns and priorities. The greater the predominance of settlement and integration issues are, the less the exercise of citizenship includes deliberative opportunities regarding school functioning.