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In just a few days kids will be heading back to school. And many of them will be taking French classes. Although it’s one of our two official languages — French is not spoken nearly as much as English. But a new partnership is trying to change that.
According to Statistics Canada, over the last 30 years there has been a steady decrease in the use of French among Canadians. But school boards we spoke with today say they are seeing the opposite when it comes to enrollment in French immersion. And today an announcement was made by the Minister of Francophone Affairs which could continue to see a resurgence of French in Ontario’s English schools.
Jacquline Bennett: “This is Matthew. He’s three. He’ll be at the Catholic school board for French immersion.”
Jackie Bennett is a mother of two young children. She’s chosen to enroll them both in French immersion for a variety of reasons: “The benefits were huge. I think that going forward, the career opportunities, the ability to be comfortable with second languages and travelling are just a few of the reasons why I thought it was a good idea.”
Jackie’s kids are part of what seems to be a growing trend. While the school boards in the area were not available for an on-camera comment, each of them did say they have seen an increase in enrollment when it comes to French immersion.
And the province’s Ministry of Education is taking note. It is partnering with French language station TFO to give Ontario’s students better access to French-language resources.
Glenn O’Farrell is CEO of TFO: “These are the kind of resources that help teachers in the classroom teach and enrich the teaching material they have and hopefully the teaching experience and learning experience for kids.”
Until this year, only 12 French-language school boards had access to these resources. Now, they’ll be available in all of the province’s English school boards reaching one million students.
The Honourable Madeleine Meilleur, Minister of Francophone Affairs: “It helps them learn and better understand their first language. And it opens the door to more opportunities and develops their understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures.”
Which is what Jackie hopes to see happen for her kids: “I do believe the earlier they get involved in something like this, the better for them.”
Earlier this year, a study found that 61 per cent of digital educational resources available in Canada are in English only. So this is something that is definitely filling a need in the system. And access to the French language tools will be available starting this school year.
