Prince Edward Island has the third highest rate of participation in French Immersion and Core French programs in Canada, according to the 2008 Canadian Parents for French report on the state of French-Second-Language Education in Canada.
Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Gerard Greenan says this is a significant accomplishment because bilingualism is important to learning, to success in the labour market and to being Canadian. “Giving young people opportunities to learn in both of Canada’s official languages helps them to be competitive in a global knowledge-based economy. It also helps us to expand our bilingual workforce before a large number of people are expected to retire.”
Prince Edward Island schools continue to expand and innovate French-Second-Language programs.
A Late French Immersion program was introduced at Kensington Intermediate Senior High School this year. An Intensive French program is being piloted at Cardigan Consolidated, Morell Consolidated and O’Leary Elementary schools. The Intensive French program immerses Grade 6 students in French for a five-month period. It is known to provide students with higher oral proficiency and competency than the regular Core French program. An Enhanced French course is available for those students who have completed Intensive French.
Minister Greenan acknowledged the excellent work of the Canadian Parents for French organization. “Over the years, Canadian Parents for French has provided a strong voice for parents of students who are learning French as a second language. It has created extra-curricular learning opportunities such as French summer camps, established awards to recognize excellence in teaching French, and produced helpful reports each year on the state of French Language learning in Canada.”
To obtain the report or more information visit www.cpf.ca.