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Ottawa mother Jessica Hetherington says it would be cruel to force her three-year-old son Grey, who has a severe speech disorder, to attend a bilingual kindergarten.
Grey can only speak a few words in English, and having to cope with French as well would be too hard for him, Hetherington told trustees at the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board on Tuesday evening.
She was among 70 parents who came to the meeting to lobby against proposed changes to kindergarten and early French immersion program.
Concerned parent Jessica Hetherington addresses the issue of French instruction in Kindergarten and Primary Early French Immersion during an Ottawa-Carleton District School Board Tuesday February 02, 2016.
The controversial proposal would make all kindergarten classes bilingual, and reduce the amount of French instruction in the early French immersion program. The board has been conducting public consultations since the fall, and has heard from plenty of upset parents, although the latest survey done by the board found those parents who responded were evenly split on the changes.
Many of the opponents oppose “watering down” the popular French immersion program, because they consider bilingualism important for their children’s future, especially if they remain in Ottawa.
But there are also parents, like Hetherington, who don’t think the board should remove the option of attending kindergarten in English. Board chair Shirley Seward said in an interview that her major concern with the proposed changes was that staff ensure special-needs children like Grey will have enough support in bilingual kindergarten classes.
Concerned parent Amber Steeves addresses the issue of French instruction in Kindergarten and Primary Early French Immersion during an Ottawa-Carleton District School Board Tuesday February 02, 2016.
Several parents told trustees that public consultations were too rushed for such a major change. Parent Karina Roman said maintaining a strong French immersion program is essential in Ottawa, where bilingualism is necessary.
Parent Janice Manley said the changes would reduce the amount of French instruction for kids in early French immersion, whose parents want them to study in French, and increase the amount of French for children in kindergarten even for those whose parents want them educated in English. How is that logical? She wondered.
By deadline, trustees had not yet begun to debate the proposal.
Staff say one of the goals of bilingual kindergartens is to ensure “equity” for kids with special needs and those who don’t speak English by exposing them to French. Those groups traditionally are under-represented in French immersion, which is generally recognized to benefit students. The idea is that if they attend kindergarten partly in French, they may be more likely to choose French immersion in Grade 1.
Underlying the debate is the board’s financial situation. The board is facing a budget shortfall and trustees are looking for places to either cut or earn more revenue. The proposed changes to kindergarten and French immersion would benefit the board’s bottom line by about $2.7 million a year.
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Grey can only speak a few words in English, and having to cope with French as well would be too hard for him, Hetherington told trustees at the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board on Tuesday evening.
She was among 70 parents who came to the meeting to lobby against proposed changes to kindergarten and early French immersion program.
Concerned parent Jessica Hetherington addresses the issue of French instruction in Kindergarten and Primary Early French Immersion during an Ottawa-Carleton District School Board Tuesday February 02, 2016.
The controversial proposal would make all kindergarten classes bilingual, and reduce the amount of French instruction in the early French immersion program. The board has been conducting public consultations since the fall, and has heard from plenty of upset parents, although the latest survey done by the board found those parents who responded were evenly split on the changes.
Many of the opponents oppose “watering down” the popular French immersion program, because they consider bilingualism important for their children’s future, especially if they remain in Ottawa.
But there are also parents, like Hetherington, who don’t think the board should remove the option of attending kindergarten in English. Board chair Shirley Seward said in an interview that her major concern with the proposed changes was that staff ensure special-needs children like Grey will have enough support in bilingual kindergarten classes.
Concerned parent Amber Steeves addresses the issue of French instruction in Kindergarten and Primary Early French Immersion during an Ottawa-Carleton District School Board Tuesday February 02, 2016.
Several parents told trustees that public consultations were too rushed for such a major change. Parent Karina Roman said maintaining a strong French immersion program is essential in Ottawa, where bilingualism is necessary.
Parent Janice Manley said the changes would reduce the amount of French instruction for kids in early French immersion, whose parents want them to study in French, and increase the amount of French for children in kindergarten even for those whose parents want them educated in English. How is that logical? She wondered.
By deadline, trustees had not yet begun to debate the proposal.
Staff say one of the goals of bilingual kindergartens is to ensure “equity” for kids with special needs and those who don’t speak English by exposing them to French. Those groups traditionally are under-represented in French immersion, which is generally recognized to benefit students. The idea is that if they attend kindergarten partly in French, they may be more likely to choose French immersion in Grade 1.
Underlying the debate is the board’s financial situation. The board is facing a budget shortfall and trustees are looking for places to either cut or earn more revenue. The proposed changes to kindergarten and French immersion would benefit the board’s bottom line by about $2.7 million a year.
查看原文...
