Frequently Asked Questions –
Consultation Process on French second-language (FSL) programming
The Court Ruling & Consultation Process
The Proposed Reforms and Related Questions
The Court Ruling & Consultation Process
Q. What did the court rule on June 11, 2008 with respect to New Brunswick’s FSL system?
A. The court ruled that second-language education was not protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The court ruled that the Government of New Brunswick has the right to make changes to the education system. The court ruled that the Minister of Education had raised the expectation of a thorough consultation process before making a decision on FSL programming; and the process followed by the Minister was not sufficiently thorough. Therefore, the previous decision of the Minister was “quashed”.
Q. What was the effect of the court ruling? What is the current status of early immersion and other programs affected by the government’s decision that has since been quashed?
A. The decision of the Minister to eliminate Early French Immersion was quashed and is therefore no longer in effect, and EFI remains part of the FSL program at this time. However, it is important to note that the court reaffirmed the right of the Minister to make changes, and remitted the matter back to the Minister. As a result, the Minister established a consultation process that will run until July 25, 2008. Reforms to the system will be announced on August 5 and be in effect for the 2008-09 school year.
Q. How does the consultation process work?
A. The Minister proposes a particular set of reforms which are explained in a discussion paper that is available online and at district offices. Using that proposal as a starting point for discussion, the Minister invites New Brunswickers to share their ideas. These ideas can support the proposal, oppose the proposal, or present alternative proposals. New Brunswickers can share their views by e-mail, online comment form, mail or fax throughout the consultation period. They can also share their views in person at a series of 18 open houses which will be hosted by the nine Anglophone districts, on Wednesday, June 25 and Saturday, June 28. The Minister will also participate in phone-in radio programs, and he will host a roundtable discussion for stakeholder groups in July. He will monitor the input received on a weekly basis and, after receiving ideas through all these means by July 25, the Minister and department will consider the feedback and the cabinet will decide how to proceed. The decision of government will be announced on August 5.
Q. Why isn’t more time being allowed for consultation? Shouldn’t the Minister delay acting for a year, as the Ombudsman and other groups have suggested?
A. The Minister believes that a decision should be made in time for this upcoming school year. He also believes that it would be unfair to keep the status quo, which is not working, in place for another year. The Minister believes children deserve better and should not be made to wait.
The Proposed Reforms and Related Questions
Q. What are the Minister’s proposed reforms to FSL programming?
A. The Minister is considering the possible elimination of the Early Immersion and Core French programs. Instead, all children would learn together in elementary school, eliminating the problem of streaming in the early grades. Children would learn in their mother tongue in grades 1 through 4, have equal opportunity to build strong foundations in literacy and math, and have more exposure to arts, music, physical education, and enrichment activities. At the same time a bilingual learning-environments policy would be in effect in elementary schools which would ensure that students have exposure to New Brunswick’s bilingual heritage and francophone culture through co-curricular and extracurricular activities.
Under the solution being considered, in Grade 5, all students would complete their elementary school experience by beginning to learn French together. The Intensive French program would be mandatory for all Grade 5 students by September 2010. The Intensive French program has been used in New Brunswick since 2002 and has been very effective in teaching kids French (students tend to gain a full level on the proficiency scale) and increase interest in FSL through increased enrollments in late immersion. The Intensive French program consists of one semester of project-based learning in French and one semester of an accelerated Grade 5 curriculum.
It is important to note that, since French is taught as a subject, math, science and every other subject would be taught in English in both Intensive, and Post-Intensive French.
In Grade 6, students would then be able to choose between a new Post-Intensive French program and a new Enriched Late Immersion program. Post-Intensive French is a non-immersion program that teaches French in larger blocks of time twice or three times a week based on the Intensive French model. It has proved to be much more effective than Core French. Enhanced Late Immersion will be similar to the current Late Immersion program but would take into consideration the increased French proficiency of students entering the program from Intensive French. Both of these options would continue through to Grade 12 and students would be required to stick with them after making a choice after completing Intensive French.
Q. Does the possible elimination of early immersion threaten New Brunswick’s status as Canada’s only officially bilingual province?
A. The Minister’s goal has been and remains to have a minimum of 70% of our high school graduates proficient in speaking French. The system under consideration could well be the best possible FSL system for all students in New Brunswick, within our current context.
Q. When so many FSL education experts and other reports have said that the sooner you begin FSL education the better, how can you propose the elimination of early immersion?
A. It should be noted that there are studies that differ; Dr. Elizabeth Murray of the Memorial University of Newfoundland found in her 2001 review of FSL studies “that the bulk of the empirical evidence does not support the hypothesis that an earlier starting time correlates with a higher level of proficiency than a later starting time.” We are considering moving the entry point so that we have a system that best serves all students.
Age is one factor in learning a language, but there are others. For example, researchers Lightbown, Spada and Paradis say that the intensity of the teaching,real opportunities to use it, and such factors as parental support are also essential factors in learning a language.
Q. Some groups have questioned the statistics presented in the Croll-Lee report; are you considering moving forward on recommendations based on unsound numbers?
A. The Department of Education conducted its own analysis of internal data, and it still paints a stark picture. Moreover, this isn’t the first report of FSL that has raised the concerns the Commissioners identified. There have been a number of reports over the past ten years that have raised similar issues about streaming. The difference is that the Minister of Education is considering action to improve FSL and the education system in general.
Q. Why are you considering taking choice away from parents by eliminating early immersion?
A. While Early Immersion has positive results for some children, the intent of the Minister’s proposal is to ensure all students have the same opportunity to acquire strong French second language skills. The Minister is considering change to the options that parents have to choose from. Rather than presenting parents with a choice before they have been able to see their childrens’ learning outcomes in a school setting, the Minister is considering putting all students on an equal playing field, and enabling parents to make an informed choice. Under the system currently being proposed, all students would take Intensive French in Grade 5 and parents would be able to make a decision about immersion following the Intensive French period after having seen their children’s learning outcomes in both French and other subjects. Experience with Intensive French has shown that children become far more enthusiastic about the prospect of learning French. At the same time, this experience has shown that taking Intensive French results in far more children enrolling in late immersion, which should reduce the problem of less access to immersion in rural areas.
Q. What were the qualifications of the commissioners that developed the proposal that the Minister is considering?
A. The Minister appointed two commissioners who have a strong background in and knowledge of the New Brunswick education system. Dr. Jim Croll has been a professor of education for decades and holds graduate degrees in how children learn and how to measure their learning outcomes. UNB granted him the designation of professor emeritus in education for his excellence in that field. Mrs. Patricia Lee has been involved at the frontlines of our educations system at local, provincial and national levels. She has served on her DEC since it was created and is its chair. She is the longest serving member on the provincial curriculum advisory committee.
Q. Is the proposal being considered by the Minister exactly what was recommended by the commissioners?
A. The Minister is considering implementing an education model that is largely consistent with those recommendations, but in addition to it, he is also proposing co-curricular and extra-curricular programming to ensure that our younger students still have exposure to the French language and culture in the early grades
Q. Wouldn’t the elimination of early immersion “dumb down” the standards?
A. The improvements being considered to the FSL programs would create a universally accessible system that will better serve all students and create equal learning environments for the benefit of all students. It is anticipated that the results of the improved FSL programs will increase the number of New Brunswick children who graduate reaching the proficiency targets for speaking French as a second language. The improvements would also improve our scores in literacy, math and science by giving all children an equal chance at a positive classroom environment. In summary, were the proposed solution adopted, we would expect our overall achievement to actually improve.
Q. Some groups have suggested that forcing all students to take Intensive French, including parents of students with special needs, would violate their children’s rights to an education in English and could harm their children’s learning outcomes. How do you respond to this?
A. The Minister believes that all of our children should be included in our education system as suggested by the MacKay Report. The current system gives some students advantages over other students and creates streaming; the Minister does not believe that this is fair. The proposed system would give all children an equal opportunity to learn French either in immersion or in a predominantly English environment through the Post-Intensive French program. The Intensive French pilot projects showed that children with special needs enjoyed and benefitted from the experience. With respect to those that say they have the right to keep their children out of French classes, that is not the case today; under the current system all children must take French through grade 10.
Q. What about parents who may want to enroll their children in French schools if the proposed solution is adopted?
A. The Education Act is very clear about who has the right to enroll in the French system. If the person has sufficient linguistic proficiency in both languages, they can choose. If a person does not have sufficient linguistic proficiency in either official language, they can choose. If the person is the child of an “ayant droit” parent, they are entitled to an education in a French-language school.
Q. Regardless of the decision on August 5 about Early Immersion, will there be Core French in grades 1-4 this September?
A. No, because it has not proven to be an effective program. The Minister recognizes that, this year, there may be a need to accommodate grade 4 students who are in schools that will not be offering grade 5 Intensive French by September 2009. As well, a new “Bilingual Learning Environments” policy will be the subject of consultation. Its implementation will ensure that children in the early grades have exposure to the French language and culture.
