Students at one Halifax school say the provincial government needs to change how students are picked to take a French language competency exam free of charge.
“We were very disappointed and upset because we have been promised this exam and we’ve been working hard towards it for the past three years,” said Jenna Viscount, a Grade 12 student at Citadel High School.
Diplôme d’études en langue française (DELF) is an internationally recognized diploma that can help students get jobs that require the ability to communicate in French.
Viscount and other students said they were told by teachers that they could take the exam for free in their final year of high school but recently learned only some would be chosen.
“There was always a wait list for this exam,” said Doreen Redmond, the executive director of French programs and services at the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.
The exam costs were covered for 500 students on a first-come, first-serve basis up until this year. A lottery method, described as “a more equitable way” by Redmond, is now being used for up to 520 students.
A greater demand is expected this year, so the department is going to look at ways in the coming months to offer coverage for more students.
It’s not clear why students were told their costs would be covered for certain.
“The communication piece, really, is something that happens between the school boards and their students,” said Redmond.
There are private organizations that can administer the exam.
“I know for myself, I should be okay to pay it, but I know a lot of my friends and a lot of my peers will be unable to pay the fee close to $200, which is pretty hefty in my opinion,” said George Khoury, a Grade 12 at Citadel High School.
Redmond said the department is partnering with Université Sainte-Anne to offer the exam next year, which could potentially double capacity.