For Immediate Release
January 17th, 2023
New Brunswickers Overwhelmingly Support French Immersion, decry the abolition of current program, says poll
Sussex, NB- A new survey shows that New Brunswickers strongly believe in the importance of teaching French in New Brunswick schools, and are against abolishing French Immersion.
The survey, prepared for Canadian Parents for French New Brunswick by Leger Marketing, shows that 72% of respondents believe that it’s important for anglophone parents in the province to have the opportunity to send their children to a French Immersion school. It also shows that 63% of respondents are against abolishing French Immersion programs in New Brunswick.
The New Brunswick government announced in December that a new program would be replacing French Immersion in the fall of 2023, which would see all kindergarten and elementary students in Anglophone schools spend half the day in exploratory learning in French. The goal, according to Education Minister Bill Hogan, is to have all students graduate with a conversational level of French.
Canadian Parents for French NB executive Director Chris Collins says this move will take away the ability for students to become functionally bilingual.
“This survey just confirms what we already know, parents in New Brunswick want their children to have the opportunity to not just have a conversation, but to be bilingual in all aspects. In the country’s only officially bilingual province, it makes no sense to abolish the current program for this 50/50 model that will not prepare students to be able to get jobs in both the public and private sector. Parents want more for their kids, and this move doesn’t give them that.”
Other statistics from the survey:
-72% of respondents said NB school principals who want to reduce the hours of second language instructions in schools should consult with parents before making the decision
-55% of respondents felt the current French Immersion program should be maintained, but made accessible to more students, even if they are not in immersion programs
-72% of respondents said their opinion on Premier Blaine Higgs has deteriorated over the past few months
About Canadian Parents for French New Brunswick (CPF NB):
Canadian Parents for French New Brunswick (CPF NB) is a provincial branch of the pan-Canadian organization Canadian Parents for French. It is a national volunteer organization of adults who recognize the value of learning French as a second language and actively promote opportunities for young Canadians to learn and use French. The organization’s vision is a Canada where French and English speakers live together in mutual respect with an understanding and appreciation of each other’s language and culture, and where linguistic duality forms and integral part of society.
Media Contact:
Jen Hudson
506-521-0967
jhshudson@gmail.com
View or download the reports below.
15928-004 CPF Rapport FR VF
15928-004 CPF Report ENG FV
Document One CPF NB V2