November 22, 2011

by Janet Steffenhagen

B.C. has abandoned a plan to end the French language's favoured status in the public school curriculum after a storm of protest.

The Education Ministry had proposed reclassifying French as an "additional language", along with German, Mandarin, Japanese and others.

But that angered francophones and francophiles in the province who said French, as one of Canada's official languages, deserved better.

"We are pleased to see the BC Ministry of Education recognize the unique status of both official languages in BC's education system," Glyn Lewis of the Canadian Parents for French (CPF) said in a release today.

"French - an official language of Canada - should act as a gateway to other languages."

The ministry had proposed the change in 2010, but the CPF said a revised K-12 curriculum released recently continues to make a distinction between French and other languages. B.C. students who are not in immersion programs are required to study a second language in Grades 5-8 and most choose French, which is often the only language class available.

The draft curriculum circulated by the B.C. Ministry of Education in 2010 proposed changes that would allow school districts to offer many other languages and at different grades, with the only requirement being that students reach a minimum level of proficiency before graduation. Students who already speak a language other than English, and can demonstrate proficiency, may be excused from further study, although the ministry said schools should encourage them to continue learning that language or take up another one as well.

The aim of the proposed change was to promote inclusivity. However, it resulted in widespread protests with educators sounding alarm that the change would make French the equivalent of other languages and erase its privileged place in B.C. elementary and secondary schools as one of Canada's official languages.

The CPF is grateful that the ministry listed and responded positively to the concerns of those who opposed the plan, the release says.

More than 275,000 B.C. students are enrolled in some form of French-language instruction.

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Source: The Vancouver Sun