Immersion plan watered down
Published Wednesday August 6th, 2008
As soon as Premier Shawn Graham and Education Minister Kelly Lamrock unveiled the new, altered plan for French immersion in New Brunswick schools it was obvious it is a watered down version of the original, controversial plan that travels a middle path.
Given the vocal early immersion lobby and the fact Minister Lamrock was backed into a corner by a court decision saying there must be more consultation, the government perhaps had little choice although we continue to believe the original plan would have done more to stop the ill effects of streaming in the education system.
Nevertheless, we are willing to give this compromise a chance to succeed and it does retain some key elements of the original.
For example, parents who want to give their children a chance at mastering concepts in their native English first will be pleased to see the first three years of schooling will be in their mother tongue. And they will also be able to enroll in an English Prime stream that appears to have more concentration of French training in both Grades 4 and 5 than the present system.
It is also possible this may ease the present streaming effect somewhat as parents of higher achieving children may view English Prime as a more positive alternative; certainly better than the existing Core French educational ghetto that it replaces.
Compromises often leave all sides less than fully satisfied and we suspect the most vocal early immersion advocates will continue to be displeased, yet they have won a partial victory in this political battle. Early immersion will continue to be an option, albeit beginning in Grade 3 instead of Grade 1.
More importantly, however, these reforms are but a small starting point, not an end in itself. Much wider reforms must be made in New Brunswick's education system. There are many problems and flaws in our school system, including those related to inclusion and illiteracy, that must be tackled in a comprehensive and real way offering workable solutions. The French training changes are but a start.
Mr. Lamrock must not stop with Tuesday's announcement. His work has just begun.
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Comments (47)
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Here we go again ...
Fire Kelly Lamrock.
The NB Education system should not be based on a political compromise.
Kelly Lamrock admitted his former decision was wrong (on many points).
So, now, why delay the entry point to grade 3 (instead of grade 5)????
How is this going to improve Second Language instruction?
The Tories need to take a firm stand on kindergarten/grade 1 entry.
Disaster Capitalism anyone?
We think this use of we is misleading. We also think the whole point of view of this artile is extremely biased. In closing we would like a change in the un-education minister before 2010. We have decided there is no point in waiting until then.
Signed
We
Why no English immersion? Is there no need for it? Are ALL Francophones in N.B. already bilingual? If so what is the problem? It is all about communicating with one another ISN'T IT? So if all Francophones ARE bilingual then what is the problem.
SAVE MONEY CANCELL THE GD PROGRAM!
In Canada it is estimated we have spent about 37 billion on bilingualism! That is over a billion a year people! So far stats say only 18% of Canadians are bilingual AND WE'VE been at it for nearly 40 years!!!
Time to wake up and spend our tax money on something else!!!
And to think they went ballistic when they heard we spent 946 million OVER A 10 year period on gun control!!!
WOW!!! The older I get the stupider people seem to get!