Keep EFI for two to three more years
When New Brunswick Education Minister Kelly Lamrock announced he would address problems in the English school system, I said "Finally!" The problems such as streaming and poor results have been talked about in quiet hushes for years. All parents knew there were issues. Children were being placed in Early French immersion often as a way to avoid what was at least perceived as a horribly broken English language school system. No one wanted to stick their children with the "slow" or the "bad" kids. Since addressing this was considered a political hot potato or "poking the language bear", as some would put it, government after government stuck their heads in the sand instead of fessing up that there was a problem and it needed to be addressed.
So I find myself a bit at odds when thinking about what might work (stress the word might, no one has a proven solution, just some ideas that might improve the odds) because as I've written before subjecting even one more year of children to a system known to be broken seems irresponsible.
But so does rushing ahead with something that might not work at all and enough questions have been raised by opponents (and a court order I might add) to lend one to think that some reflection is required particularly with the Minister allowing less than a month before school starts to implement changes.
One key stumbling block has been the consistent message from the parents and special interest groups fighting to keep EFI...choice. Clearly that hurdle needs to be addressed.
Here are a few ideas to address some of the issues.
- French as a subject needs to be mandatory from K-12 just like English and Math.
- Keep the Grade 5 intensive French program. If math or science is taught though, teach them in English. These are still English kids after all and they are going to use those terms in life in English. That's just the way it is.
- Add another intensive French component in a later grade to offer a bit of an upgrade. -Create social situations in which the kids can actually use French in a way that is relevant. It’s great to say they speak a bunch of languages in Europe and look to them but in those countries where that’s the truth that’s because it’s become a necessity. That’s not the case here. In most areas of New Brunswick when EFI children leave school, they don’t hear any French until the next day in class. Kelly Lamrock is correct that no matter what is done in school students will have to maintain it on their own when they get out of school. Use it or lose it is accurate when it comes to language.
- Test the students French at least once a year so that programs can be adjusted for effectiveness and relevance.
- Finally, scrap EFI and consider scrapping late immersion but not for another two to three years and here's why.
Officials with the French language school system have already spoken publicly that they have no problem with English students attending the French schools even if both parents are English. They do however require some effort on the parent's part to get the children ready. A two to three year window allows that preparation time for parents who want to have their children educated in French. Yes I know there are not French schools throughout New Brunswick but neither is EFI offered throughout New Brunswick. Many rural areas don't have EFI now. This way there would be an enhanced French instruction for all students and a vast amount of the province is covered with French schools including mostly English areas such as Saint John, Fredericton and Miramichi. In the end, if there's an enhanced French program, don't expect a mass exodus to French schools. There’s a cultural issue at play too and most English parents will want their kids in an English school. However this allows many English parents to have their children educated in French if they want.
One caveat is that French immersion still needs to be properly funded for the next decade and a half as existing students work their way through the system. This is critical so that those students aren’t left behind either.
Are there pros and cons to this? Just like all of the plans of course there are but it is compromise all around and in the end more children will be better for it.
Related - David Campbell's thoughts.
Crossposted - Spink About It
Comments (4)
All comments are subject to the site Terms of Use. For a full commenting tutorial click here.
Our editorial team relies on filtering technology and our visitor community to identify inappropriate comments. In the event that a site user has submitted offensive content that has evaded our filter, please select the option to Flag As Inappropriate presented within the comment. Thank you for helping to keep this site clean.
So that your next article will read: "Children were being placed in the French education school district often as a way to avoid what was at least perceived as a horribly broken English language school system. No one wanted to stick their children with the "slow" or the "bad" kids."
I understand the passion though. Any time an idea that isn't the status quo is raised it's trashed. Something however has to change and it should have happened years ago.