SUSSEX, New Brunswick, Nov. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Canadian Parents for French – New Brunswick (CPF NB) issued a stark warning over Premier Blaine Higgs’ effort to abolish French immersion in Canada’s solely formally bilingual province.
“French immersion has been a success in New Brunswick,” stated Chris Collins, Executive Director of CPF NB. “The numbers speak for themselves, 93.2% of Grade 12 students in the French immersion program attained intermediate and above proficiency according to the Province’s Department of Education report.”
According to Collins, “Removing French immersion will have a long-term detrimental impact on the province. New Brunswick’s long and proud history as an officially bilingual province is at risk under this government’s plan.”
According to the 2021 Census of Population, the bilingualism fee of younger English-speaking New Brunswickers is on the rise. This group has the best fee of bilingualism amongst English-speaking youth within the nation outdoors of Quebec. In truth, 20% of English–talking New Brunswickers underneath the age of 15 are bilingual, as are 32% of 15– to 24-year-olds.
In New Brunswick, French was the primary official language spoken by 30.0% of the inhabitants, whereas solely 3.4% of Ontarians spoke French as their first language, in line with Statistics Canada. Additionally, the examine confirmed that bilingualism within the province remained pretty secure over this era (33.9% in 2016 and 34.0% in 2021).
In a current assertion issued by the Federal Commissioner of Official Languages Raymond Théberge, he stated, “I strongly encourage decision makers to focus on the interests and future of New Brunswick’s youth, and to take full advantage of the education community’s considerable expertise. Access to second–language learning is not just a provincial issue. Your leadership is essential, as the direction you choose for French immersion in New Brunswick will have an impact on bilingualism across the country.”
Federal Minister of Official Languages Hon. Ginette Petitpas Taylor said, “During negotiations, if we put money on the table, it is to make sure that there will be immersion programs in New Brunswick.”
The choice to scrap French immersion is a part of an ongoing effort by Higgs, who was a management candidate for the anti-bilingualism and now defunct Confederation of Regions (COR) celebration. The Premier lately misplaced his Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development, Dominic Cardy, who disagreed with Higgs’ place. In his resignation letter, Cardy stated, “Change requires care, not a wrecking ball. Reform is about inspiring movement, not ordering people to move.”
“The Higgs government’s move is purely political,” stated Collins. “The Premier has been quoted as saying ‘no one would make a change like that in an election year’ and when shown his own Ministry’s data on the success of French immersion he replied, ‘data my ass’.”
CPF NB is anxious that French immersion as soon as once more will develop into a political soccer. “The losers will be the youth of our province and the bilingual nature of New Brunswick,” concluded Collins.
About Canadian Parents for French New Brunswick (CPF NB):
Canadian Parents for French New Brunswick (CPF NB) is a provincial department of the pan-Canadian group, Canadian Parents for French. It is a nationwide volunteer group of adults who acknowledge the worth of studying French as a second language and actively promote alternatives for younger Canadians to study and use French. The group’s imaginative and prescient is a Canada the place French- and English-speakers dwell collectively in mutual respect with an understanding and appreciation of one another’s language and tradition and the place linguistic duality kinds an integral a part of society.
For Further Information Contact:
Chris Collins
Executive Director
506.875.0467
[email protected]
