More French immersion 'good news story' of school review, says Canadian Parents for French

While public outcry continues in reaction to this week's report from the Public Schools Branch, at least one group on Prince Edward Island has found some positive in the proposed changes.

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"I think it basically says it's going to be a good news story for French immersion," said Gail Lecky, executive director of Canadian Parents for French on P.E.I.

The report recommends West Kent and West Royalty elementary schools both become "dual-track" schools offering French immersion and English, and adding early immersion at Alberton and O'Leary schools. If there is enough interest, late French immersion could be also added at Montague Intermediate.

"I didn't really expect that we would lose any programs to tell you the truth, but if the recommendations are put into force, we'll have four and possibly five new access points for French immersion," Lecky said.

Overcrowding issues

The addition of new immersion programs at West Royalty and West Kent will, Lecky hopes, alleviate the overcrowding at Spring Park Elementary in Charlottetown.

"It opens up seats," Lecky explained.

"They'll now be able to stay in their neighbourhoods and go to school with the kids that they see next door."

If the recommendations go ahead, students from Stratford will be rezoned to Birchwood Intermediate, which currently only offers late immersion, so the school would have to add continuing French immersion as well.

"I think that will be a bonus for the late immersion program at Birchwood, and I think it will be great for the continuing immersion students because the teachers will come with them," said Lecky.

'Still a couple of gaps'

However, the school review doesn't address all of the concerns of Canadian Parents for French, particularly in rural P.E.I.

"There's still a couple of gaps," said Lecky, pointing to the Morell and Souris families of schools, which still don't offer any French immersion programming.

"There should be two access points, kindergarten and late immersion, and up west, the only one late immersion program is at KISH [Kensington Intermediate Senior High]," said Lecky.

"If parents don't choose French immersion for their children in kindergarten, then they have no second chance in the western schools, so it certainly would be nice to see some more late immersion programs."

Perennial teacher shortage

Lecky does have questions about the timeline for adding the new immersion programs and hopes the Public Schools Branch is planning ahead for some of the logistical challenges, such as ordering books and other supplies for new French immersion classrooms.

And possibly the biggest challenge, Lecky will be finding teachers for those new classes.  

"There's always a crunch to look for qualified French immersion teachers and I hope that that's really at the top of their 'to do' list is to make sure that we have French immersion teaches that have the language competency," she explained.

If the recommendations go ahead, Lecky estimates there will be between 100 and 200 more students in French immersion programs across P.E.I. than there are now.

Close to 20,000 students were enrolled in P.E.I. schools as of September 2016 and about 4,700 of them in French immersion — about one in four.

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