By Walter Byj
June 19, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
For some it is a grand success story while others view it as an experiment that has created a mess. Either way, it has created a logistics nightmare for boards across the province as educators try to run both a successful English program along with a strong French Immersion program.
Busing students to schools with a French immersion program adds to the problem – and the cost.
School busing, disruption of community schools, huge uptake in French Immersion and a shortage on competent French teachers in Ontario is forcing many boards to review their current implementation of French Immersion.
In Halton, the board recently created the Program Viability Committee (PVC) whose goal was to do a thorough review of the challenges that French Immersion has placed on the English program and to then propose a number of solutions that could alleviate any current problems.
The committee, which consists of 22 members, includes the Director of Education, board superintendents, schools principals and three trustees. The trustees are J. Oliver (Oakville, K. Graves (Milton) and R. Papin (Burlington).At the recent board meeting committee chair S. Miller (Associate Director of Education) presented to the board the initial written report.
Miller began his presentation stating that French has had a presence in Ontario for over 400 years. He then when on to explain that although the Halton Board has a very robust French Immersion program, there are some unintended consequences, particularly in some of the dual track schools, where there is a low uptake in the English program.
He stressed that the mandate of this committee was not just French Immersion, but of both French and English programs to ensure that students in both are receiving the best education possible. He did concede that this will not be easy and that no solution will be perfect.
French immersion – not as easy to deliver as many think – resources not always available.
He reiterated that many boards are facing the same issues and reviewing how they face those challenges helps Halton in finding a solution. The report contained a number of appendices that contribute to the current situation. These will be reviewed at a later date.
Following is the initial recommendations that have been presented to the board. A more detailed review of the factors leading to these recommendations along with pros and cons will follow in part two of this report.
RECOMMENDATION 1:
Be it resolved that the Halton District School Board present the following options for the delivery of French Immersion to the public in the Fall of 2015 for the purpose of receiving feedback, considerations and comments. Feedback will be brought to the Board for consideration in the delivery of French Immersion programming:
1. Option 1: Grade 1 (early) French immersion remains a 50% French 50% English delivery model, but entry to FI will be capped. The method of capping would be determined at a later date.
2. Option 2: Grade 1 (early) French Immersion remains at 50% French and 50% English, however all FI programs will be delivered in single track FI schools. French Immersion will be phased out of dual track schools and no new dual track schools will be considered. The location of the single track schools will be determined at a later date.
3. Option 3: French Immersion will commence at a later entry point (mid entry); Grade 4. This will result in the delivery model of FI moving from a 50% model to at least a 80% French Immersion model. In addition the delivery of FI will occur in dual track schools only.
4. Option 4: French Immersion will commence at a later entry point (mid entry); Grade 4. This will result in the delivery model of FI moving from a 50% model to at least a 80% French Immersion model. In addition the delivery of FI will occur in single track FI schools only.
RECOMMENDATION 2:
Be it resolved that the Halton District School Board initiate a community consultation/feedback process with the process and the method of consulting and communicating to the public coming to the Board of Trustees before the end of September 2015 for information.
