Language guru says N.B. should keep early French immersion
'Hopefully no other government in Canada will repeat the mistake they made in N.B.,' says Bernard Lord
OTTAWA - A decision by New Brunswick's Education Minister Kelly Lamrock to scrap early French immersion sends the wrong message to provincial governments about the importance of linguistic duality in Canada, says the special adviser to the prime minister on official languages.
Former New Brunswick premier Bernard Lord said the decision not to allow parents to enrol their children in French immersion classes until Grade 6, after mandatory intensive core French in Grade 5, creates another missed opportunity for young people to learn both official languages.
"Hopefully no other government in Canada will repeat the mistake they made in New Brunswick," said Lord, who joins a growing list of prominent New Brunswickers who have criticized the move.
Lord was in Ottawa yesterday to testify in front of a parliamentary standing committee on official languages.
He was appointed special adviser to the cause by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in December to conduct a cross-Canada tour and report on the status of minority language communities and organizations in Canada.
During his testimony, Lord told the committee that his former Progressive Conservative government's plan was to try to increase the number of bilingual graduates in the province to 70 per cent.
"That will be more difficult now because the government of New Brunswick has decided to eliminate the (early) immersion program," he testified, adding some parents in English communities across Canada are waiting in line for days to enrol their children in French immersion programs.
Finding more ways to increase and promote bilingualism throughout Canada are at the heart of Lord's report.
Much of his testimony on official languages was heavily scrutinized by Acadie-Bathurst NDP MP Yvon Godin, who accused the former New Brunswick premier of producing a vague report that was void of substance.
The pair, who disagreed on almost every point in the report, did agree that early French immersion must remain an option for New Brunswick students.
"I think it's sad because the parents should have the right to decide," said Godin.
Lamrock announced in March that beginning this fall, French immersion and core French in Grade 1 through Grade 4 will be eliminated.
It will be replaced with intensive core French in Grade 5 and late immersion starting in Grade 6.
The decision has sparked province-wide outrage by parents and students who support French immersion.
Provincial Ombudsman Bernard Richard is investigating the Liberal government's plan to scrap the program.
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More resources were/are needed to ALL subjects - not just the 2nd language!!!
It seems we are blaming the whole problem on language and that is wrong!! Lamrock is missing 'the boat' to improve the entire system. In the meantime he is 'short changing' the NB children of an opportunity to learn a 2nd language until mid-way through their school career when all facts point to 'earlier introduction is best'. By the time a student reaches 11 years old, they have more incumberances that hinder them learning language(s).
'Killer Kellie' knows best however!!