The head of the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial (CSAP), Michel Collette, has declared the exodus of students from the French school system in Halifax an 'emergency.' Data shows that more than 67% of students from École Mer et Monde, the only French school in peninsular Halifax, leave after Grade 9, primarily enrolling in English-language schools. Seventeen-year-old Maia Lee, a student who transitioned to École secondaire Mosaïque, highlighted the lack of resources and extracurricular activities as significant factors influencing this trend. The CSAP is actively engaging with families to investigate the reasons behind these departures and has formed a committee with the provincial government to devise solutions. A new French school is set to open in September but will only accommodate students up to Grade 9, raising concerns about the future of French education in the area. Parents are also contemplating the practicality of sending their children to schools further away, which may lead to increased assimilation into English-speaking environments. Lee emphasized the importance of preserving French language and culture for future generations in Halifax and Nova Scotia.