A pilot project that could form the basis for a new universal French second-language education program has replaced French immersion in one Moncton school, according to an advocacy group.
Canadian Parents for French New Brunswick say children in the French immersion program at Maplehurst School in Moncton are only getting 25 per cent of their education in French, far below the 70 per cent required under the immersion program.
“I’m hearing that students are telling their parents that they haven’t learned anything in French in two years,” said Chris Collins, the executive director of Canadian Parents for French NB.
There are 24 schools testing various French-language learning pilot projects focused on ensuring anglophone students graduate with a conversational level of French. A universal French second-language program will be rolled out across the anglophone school system next fall for all incoming students, replacing the French immersion program.
The new program was initially slated to go provincewide the following year, but the accelerated timeline and elimination of French immersion caused former education minister Dominic Cardy to resign from cabinet last month.
Education Minister Bill Hogan says he isn’t familiar with what is going on at Maplehurst, but reiterated to Collins and reporters that the new program will be grandfathered in, with those already in French immersion being able to see it through.
“It certainly wouldn’t be what we’re looking for in improving the anglophone system in New Brunswick. So I’ll have to get more details on that,” he when asked about the immersion program at Maplehurst.
But Collins remains concerned, despite the minister’s assurances.
“I’m still concerned that that’s what’s going to happen, that they’re going to merge the French immersion students into one classroom with the other students like they’re doing with this pilot program,” he said.
The government says availability and poor graduation rates make scrapping the immersion program necessary. About 60 per cent of anglophone students do not enrol in the program, according to the province.
But Collins points out that 98 per cent of those who graduate from the program achieve a conversational level of French.
Two opposition members say the data surrounding the number of students leaving the program in high school may be misleading as well. Both Liberal Leader Susan Holt and Green MLA Megan Mitton say they were in the immersion program, but didn’t graduate from it due to conflicts in courses in high school. Both are bilingual.
“I speak French, I can write French, I can read French, I work in French in the legislature so I would consider that the French immersion program is successful,” Mitton said.
“I never took the oral proficiency test so I wouldn’t end up in the statistics as having been successful. I know so many people like that.”
Both opposition parties have been calling for the province to reverse its decision to scrap the program and instead focus on expanding access to it and improving French-language education for those who aren’t in it.
“I think the problem with French immersion right now is that we haven’t made options available to more people. I think more people should be able to choose French immersion,” Holt said.
“We’re trying this one-size-fits-no-one model of conversational French that takes away choice and takes away the chance for people to become bilingual.”
Hogan, who is bilingual, says he took core French until Grade 10 and was unsuccessful in learning the language. He then took French when attending St. Thomas University and Laval University.
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