Expect province to tweak its plan for immersion
The government's consultation process for early French immersion concludes today, and there is every indication that it was a useful exercise. Court-directed or not, it forced people with vastly different opinions to sit down and try to find common ground.
There is rarely unanimous agreement, even in a democracy, and it would be unreasonable to expect that when the government announces its intentions on Aug. 5. But hopefully, both sides have greater appreciation for one another at this point; government for the passion proponents feel for immersion, not only as a tool of education but as a critical component of the province's cultural identity; immersion supporters for the government's commitment to raise New Brunswick's educational standards.
Forget, for the moment, that the Liberals were ordered into this public process by a judge. In fact, perhaps that is even a good thing, a moment of reckoning that being elected is not necessarily a licence for dramatic and unsolicited reform.
If the government has a better understanding of the electorate now and of the need for listening to voters, an important lesson has been learned, and that should help shape the way future decisions are made.
That is not to say anyone should expect the Liberals to suddenly announce they are scrapping plans for finding a better way to deliver French immersion. It would even be unreasonable to expect them to delay implementing a plan for another year: What government should be expected to take such an enormous risk in the months leading up to the next election?
If he was skeptical at the beginning, hopefully Education Minister Kelly Lamrock is more enamoured with the consultation process now. Hopefully, he will take some of the ideas brought forth and try to incorporate them into a plan that is palatable to everyone involved: parents, students, educators, and government.
It would be a disappointment Â- and a surprise - if the government announced it was going full-speed ahead with the unpopular plan it announced in March. Concern was expressed on a number of levels over eliminating French immersion until the fifth grade; a number of experts said it contradicts widely accepted research that shows that children have a better capacity for learning at an earlier age.
Expect the education minister to be complimentary toward the process that is being completed, and to express thanks to the 1,200 or more people who have offered their opinions. It's an opportunity as much as it is a rebuke, a means to establish the best policy possible, even if accompanied by a little pain and a loud refrain.
So what is most likely to happen from here?
Well, I have a hunch, and this is it:
I believe the government will announce that it will, indeed, implement a new French immersion program beginning in the upcoming school year. I believe it will contain some of the measures announced in March, but not all. I suspect the Liberals will propose ways to ease classroom problems related to streaming, and will agree to begin offering immersion before Grade 5. Third grade would be well accepted, and fourth grade would still be more acceptable than what had already been announced.
To allow the status quo wouldn't serve in the interest of anybody. To have a new plan in place, one that could be tweaked, is better. And one that addresses some of the concerns voters have expressed, would be best.
Marty Klinkenberg is contributing editor of the Telegraph-Journal. He can be reached at martyklinkenberg@hotmail.com.
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Comments (18)
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I hope we also see some significant improvements in Core. I'd really like some instruction starting in Kindergarten and something innovative for Grades 1-12.
But why must that "feeling" be addressed. It has been PROVEN through extensive research that this "feeling" is just that, only a feeling. It's a myth so why should we accept a program that caters to a myth?
All education systems struggle to address differences between rural and urban schools, low and higher income students, boys and girls performance, and special needs children. Only here the DOE concluded that EFI did not take place in that context, it CAUSED it.
Despite much prodding to get data to support its conclusion, it did not or could not, do so and prepared to act on anecdote, assumption and opinion. It led the charge to author an embarrassing report, to hold inadequate consultation, and to dismiss critics with inflammatory rhetoric. In sum DOE was not the independent advisor a democracy must count on in public policy.
Now that the Minister has seen it at work and where it placed him, he has a chance to change the culture of the DOE. This may be the biggest benefit of the EFI debate.
The grounding in English bit weighed heavily when I chose EFI for my oldest but I was comfortable that he would do well. Even though I now know better, I'm still hesitant to enroll my youngest in a Gr 1 EFI because I know he's not as strong and will struggle (if we added a significant resource program I'd be ok with Gr. 1 but that's only because I have prior experience with the program).
If we really want more people to embrace immersion, we have to acknowledge that they want to do what's best for their children and if they can't get past the grounding in English belief, they're not going to choose immersion.
This is a political concern, not an educational concern... its sad that this is the motivation and not reasonable. That's Lamrock's issue. Not mine.
I know others who have put thousands of dollars and thousands of hours into this and who have endured public ridicule and potential professional harm to push this government to its current position.
I do not want to be all 'sour grapes' on this issue but I refuse to forget the agonizing road that has gotten us to this point. I am not pleased with the minister regardless of his willingness to compromise and am even more furious with the DOE who have been the puppet masters to this whole debaucle. The next government needs to clean house at the DOE.
Grade 3 would be much more acceptable than Grade 5. I, at least, know someone who started Immersion in Grade 3 and speaks French well. But I agree that this will put our system in a bad position with the rest of the country making virtually impossible for kids to transfer in and out of the different province's Immersion programs.