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Spectacular Increase in French Immersion Enrolment Hailed by Canadian Parents
for French-BC & Yukon Branch
Press Release
Released: December 8, 2003
Canadian Parents for French - BC & Yukon Branch is celebrating a remarkable
new record for French Immersion enrolment in British Columbia set this year,
according to statistics just released by the BC Ministry of Education.
33,407 students are enrolled in French Immersion programs across BC this year,
an increase of 1,417 over 2002-03, the largest one-year increase in enrolment
since the 1980s. This substantial increase in enrolment is also the fourth
consecutive record year for French Immersion in BC public schools and took
place while overall enrolment in the school system dropped.
French Immersion growth is particularly impressive at the Kindergarten to Grade
2 level, the main entry point for the program. K-2 enrolment has increased
by 28% since 1998, ensuring that the popularity of French Second language
education will continue to grow for the next 6 years.
Table 1 - French Immersion- Enrolment Statistics 1998-2003 - BC Public Schools
|
Year |
French Immersion Enrolment |
Elementary French Immersion Enrolment |
K-2 French Immersion Enrolment |
Total School Enrolment |
|
2003-04 |
33,407 |
24,244 |
10,384 |
616,472 |
|
2002-03 |
31,990 |
22,911 |
9,745 |
623,344 |
|
2001-02 |
31,136 |
21,991 |
9,365 |
632,024 |
|
2000-01 |
30,423 |
21,099 |
8,913 |
634,555 |
|
1999-00 |
29,979 |
20,522 |
8,473 |
637,724 |
|
1998-99 |
29,434 |
19,702 |
8,053 |
631,612 |
Source: BC Ministry of Education
"More and more parents are choosing French Immersion for their children.
Why? French Immersion programs have proven their educational value over the
past thirty years in BC. In the past year, Canadian Parents for French chapters
have also worked diligently to open new Early or Late French Immersion programs
in communities such as New Westminster, Quesnel, Prince Rupert, New Westminster
and Vernon. Finally, in a changing world, the value of learning a second language
is greater than ever before," said CPF-BC & Yukon President Melanie
Tighe-Lovsin, a Vernon parent.
"The enormous growth and success of French Immersion programs will bring
some challenges. There is a growing need for more qualified French language
teachers. And the combination of growing French Immersion student populations
and a decline in overall student enrolment is forcing school districts to
review space requirements in schools across the Lower Mainland. We believe
these issues can be addressed at a local and provincial level in the coming
years. In particular, CPF is working to ensure that new Federal dollars for
French language education will be delivered to classrooms across BC starting
in 2004," noted Tighe-Lovsin.
Canadian Parents for French is the national network for the promotion of French
Second language learning opportunities for young Canadians. CPF-BC & Yukon
is by far the largest provincial section of CPF with more than 6,000 members
organized in 47 chapters across BC and the Yukon.
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Detailed district enrolment statistics are available on the Ministry
of Education's Website. For more detailed local information on enrolment
or for a copy of CPF's comprehensive brief to the Federal and Provincial Governments,
please contact Adrian Dix, Executive
Director, CPF-BC and Yukon
phone: 604-524-0134 or 1-800-665-1222
or fax: 604-524-0135
.
The information on this page was late updated: December 11,
2003.
This page was last modified December 11, 2003.
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