Premier’s comments spur hope N.B. French-language program could be scrapped

Molly Tomlik has two children – one who is already in French immersion, the other yet to enter school.

She will be one parent who could be straddling two programs designed to teach her children their second language, French.

“For me, just as a parent, making sure that my children have the best opportunities available to them, I don’t want to be closing doors to them as soon as they start school,” she said in an interview on Thursday. “I want them to have options … to be able to make their own choices down the road.”

Parents are unable to register students entering kindergarten into French immersion this year. Instead, the province wants to implement a 50-50 model of instruction. Students get 50 per cent instruction in French, 50 in English. The amount of French instruction lessens as a student moves into higher grade levels.

It’s sparked a lot of pushback from parents and teachers alike.

“They’re maybe not getting the reaction that they’d hoped for with it and it’s hopeful to see even PC MLAs say, ‘I think we need to pump the brakes,’ because when it was initially presented it was like, ‘We’re doing this and starting next September,’” she said.

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For her, September has to mean a return to French immersion.

Liberal Leader Susan Holt said it would be hard to ignore the outcry against the changes. Hundreds of people showed up to the four in-person consultations, with people taking to the mic one by one to address officials from the Education Department.

“The public has been clear and convincing on this,” she said in an interview on Thursday. “This is not what our education system needs…. If you’re interested in what’s in the best interest of kids, then you’re going to listen to teachers, experts and parents.”

Holt said the consultation was a real show of democracy, and now it’s up to the government to listen to those perspectives.

“I left really hoping the folks were listening to the consistent feedback that was being offered,” she said.

Green MLA Megan Mitton said there is too much within the education system that needs fixing,  including classroom composition and a human resource crisis.

“It seemed pretty set in stone last fall,” she said. “It seemed pretty clear that they were going to go forward with it and so they’re changing their tone, as they should.”

She said the government should keep French immersion intact, but added improvements can always be made.

“I think part of the plan needs to be training and recruiting French teachers and teachers in general.”