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French-immersion students outperform non-immersion students: StatsCan


Canadian Press


Monday, March 22, 2004
OTTAWA -- Students in French-immersion programs generally had higher literacy skills than those in non-immersion programs in the year 2000, two studies have found.

In a study that looked at reading skills of 15-year-olds in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba, only in Manitoba were results for immersion and non-immersion students the same, Statistics Canada reported Monday.

"While students in French-immersion programs were more likely to come from better socio-economic backgrounds in terms of parents' occupations and education levels, these differences in family background alone do not explain the difference in reading performance," the agency said.

"On average, students in French minority-language school systems performed at lower levels in reading than their counterparts in English school systems."

Mary Allen, author of the report, said in an interview that the studies looked at "reading skills as opposed to language skills," or in other words they measured literacy.

One study shows "that the average reading performance for students in French school systems in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario and Manitoba was significantly lower than students in English-language school systems in those provinces. In Quebec, there was little difference in the results for French and English school systems."

In each province, different factors distinguished students in French and English schools, including adequacy of school resources, language spoken at home, socio-economic background of students, and the nature and availability of jobs in the community.

However, when gender, socio-economic background and parents' education were taken into account, French-immersion students still outperformed their counterparts in non-immersion programs.

The studies also found that:

-In French school systems in Nova Scotia, Ontario and Manitoba, about 60 per cent of students did not speak French most often at home.

-In New Brunswick and Quebec, students in English schools were socio-economically better off than students in French schools. However, students in French schools in Manitoba came from families with significantly higher socio-economic status than the students in English schools.

-In Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Quebec, students in English schools tended to be in communities where the socio-economic conditions were generally more favourable. In Ontario and Manitoba, there were fewer differences at the community level.

-With the exception of Manitoba, students were more likely to be hindered by inadequate instructional resources.

http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawac...e-edd5c50d6475