Changes to French immersion in WRDSB schools criticized by some people involved in the process

Trustees with the Waterloo Region District School Board are set to vote on changes to how French immersion is delivered in its schools.

But the recommended changes, to be voted on Monday night, are being criticized by some — including people who sat on a committee tasked with suggesting ways to make French immersion more equitable. 

"I don't feel that the three recommendations ... of the report go far enough to meet my concerns and what I've heard from other parents in the community," Patricia Shaw, who sat on the committee, told CBC News.

Shaw said she wants to see trustees open up the conversation to more parents.

"We hope that the trustees will see that parents deserve the opportunity to talk about the outcome of this committee's work — before they vote to make a change in the name of access and equity," Shaw said.

Board wants to improve access to program

The school board started its current review of French immersion in 2017 when an ad hoc committee was struck to look at ways to improve the program and make it more equitable. 

Currently, French immersion is offered in some dual-track schools where some classes are French immersion and others are students taking classes in English.

Three recommendations were brought to trustees last week:

• Approve vision, goals and guiding principles that French immersion is open to everyone.
• Develop "an action plan" to bring the program into alignment with the vision, goals and guiding principles.
• Start French immersion in Grade 2, rather than Grade 1.

Starting French immersion in Grade 2 would give parents — particularly parents whose first language isn't English and who may not fully grasp the benefits of the French immersion program — more of a chance to talk to educators about the program, Della Lataille-Herdsman, superintendent of student achievement and well-being, told trustees.

As well, French-language teaching would increase from eight per cent of the curriculum to 16 per cent of the curriculum for all Grade 1 students.

If approved, the increase in French in Grade 1 would go ahead in fall 2023 and students in Grade 1 that year could apply in January 2024 to go into French immersion in Grade 2.

Trustee expresses concern

During a board meeting on June 20, trustee Kathi Smith said many members of the committee — which included students, parents, teachers, board staff members, trustees and members of the public — didn't support the final recommendations.  

"I really am concerned about us moving ahead when, as you know … there was not a substantial difference between those in favour of the motion and those not in favour of the motion," Smith said.

Smith, who has been part of this French immersion committee since its inception in 2017, called on the board to hold a special meeting to hear from more people on the issue.

"I'm just concerned about the number of people who are not supportive of this and the staff having to move ahead with French immersion, having people who are going to be protesting, including, sadly, some of our staff."

Recommendations don't go far enough: Parent

Mandi Bond said her child was counselled to leave French immersion when they encountered problems in learning.

Over the five years she was part of the committee, Bond said, there were a lot of thoughtful conversations and creative suggestions for ways to change the program to make it more accessible to more people.

At this point, though, she doesn't feel the committee was truly able to address the issue of equitable access to the program.

"I'm not trying to change the program to be better for my kids. I'm here talking so that no family has to go through what we did and to imagine a system that meets the vision that every child has access."

Shaw, who joined the committee in 2021, said transportation needs to be addressed. Ideally, all students who want to attend French immersion would be bused to a school, she said.

"If you're out of the boundary of a French immersion school, you may still apply to attend the French immersion school by lottery system and if accepted, you have to provide your own transportation to get to that school," she said of the current situation.

"To have a parent available to drive to and from school is likely isn't an option for many people."

'A plan to come up with a plan'

The recommendations from the committee are on the agenda for Monday night's board meeting and trustees will be asked to vote to ratify the decision they made a week earlier while in a committee meeting.

Trustees and board staff agreed at last week's meeting that work is still needed on making French immersion more equitable.

There are three delegations registered to speak to this issue at Monday night's meeting, including both Shaw and Bond.

Shaw said she wants to see the committee restarted so work can continue.

"We should have a road map to equity. If transportation is too big an issue to tackle right now — and I personally don't think it is — but if it's too big an issue, when are we going to address it? What goal do we want? Do we want every child to have access to French immersion? And if we do, at what year?" Shaw said.

"We didn't come up with the plan. We only came up with a plan to come up with a plan. So that's where my frustration lies."