Declining French Immersion Enrolment 1

Transcrição

DECLINING FRENCH IMMERSION
ENROLMENT TRENDS IN CANADA AND ITS
IMPACT ON ÉCOLE LETELLIER SCHOOL
Maria Bonan
Overview of the Evolution of French Immersion Programs
Student enrolment in French Immersion programs is declining (Commissioner of
Official Languages, 1997). “In Manitoba and Saskatchewan, fewer than 1,500 students
graduated from French Immersion programs (in 2001-02) last spring. Enrolment is even
declining in Ottawa and Toronto, longtime French Immersion strongholds” (Sokoloff,
2002, p. B.1.FRO). “Overall, growth in immersion is concentrated in B.C., Alberta,
Quebec and in parts of Atlantic Canada. Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan are
experiencing declines in immersion enrolments, as are the territories, where the decline is
particularly sharp” (Schmidt, 2003, p. 32).
This paper will attempt to describe the current trends in enrolment in French
Immersion Programs across Canada and particularly in Manitoba. Specifically, this paper
will address the impact of this institutional level of change (Hoy & Miskel, 2001) as it
pertains to École Letellier School. École Letellier School is one of 19 schools in the Border
Land School Division. It is a small Kindergarten to Grade 8 school with an enrolment of 33
students and three teaching staff. It is the only French Immersion school in this division.
Border Land School Division was formed as part of provincial amalgamations and is
currently in its third year of existence as a newly formed school division. The issue of
declining enrolment at École Letellier School has been one of contention at the divisional
level since the amalgamation. This paper will elaborate on the national enrolment trends
and the direct impact that has been observed at the local school level over the past three
years. Based on the research available, this paper also suggests topics for future study and
proposes recommendations to resolve this declining enrolment issue.
French Immersion was a concept of Canadian education which began with a group
of Anglophone parents in a suburb of Montreal, St. Lambert, Quebec in 1964. The
immediate success of these initial teaching programs created a boom in popularity for
French Immersion programs across Canada (Canadian Education Association, 1983). This
bilingual experiment has now become an integral part of every Canadian province’s
educational system.
Maria Bonan
Declining French Immersion Enrolment Trends
More than 30 years of research has been documented in French Immersion program
studies. What was originally thought to be a “fad” has unfolded into a very unique
Canadian phenomenon which has been the premise for developing similar programs
worldwide. In the early sixties, parents were enrolling their children in French Immersion
programs to provide them with better job opportunities in the future or to provide an
enrichment program for their children. Over the years, a rash of research projects has been
carried out to assure parents and educators that the complex innovation called immersion is,
in fact, a success. Early studies focused on the “product” of immersion programs and how
well students performed in comparison to students not enrolled in immersion programs. As
immersion is now an established educational alternative, the success of these programs has
given rise to new issues. It is the purpose of this paper, therefore, to focus on areas where
attention must be placed in order to ensure the continuation of the success of immersion
programs in the future.
“Recent studies and statistics show that a levelling off and a drop in enrolment and
participation in immersion programs, especially at the secondary levels is evident”
(Commissioner of Official Languages, 1996, p. 98). With the aim of investigating the
variables associated with attrition, a national study involving more than 350 school districts
throughout Canada was undertaken in 1991 (Halsall, 1991). Chief researcher Nancy Halsall
reported in the document that “between 20% and 80% of French Immersion students had
left the program upon entering high school for a variety of reasons” (p.3).
The issue of attrition and declining enrolment in French Immersion programs in
Canada continues to present one of the greatest challenges for the program. The reasons
associated with the decline of school bilingual programs have been well documented
(Commissioner of Official Languages, 1992; Halsall, 1991).
As a program, immersion seems to be well understood to mean that all instruction is
carried out in French. French Immersion is a program in which students, whose mother
tongue is not usually French, are taught a variety of subjects in French by a teacher who is
fluent in that language. What is sometimes less known are the varying models of French
Immersion education. Early Immersion means that students enter at Kindergarten or Grade
1, Middle Immersion means students enter at Grade 4, and Late Immersion means students
enter at Grade 7. There are also varying degrees of intensity: Total Immersion means that all
subjects are taught in French; Partial Immersion, sometimes referred to as Bilingual
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Education, means that the students receive part of their instruction in French and part of
their instruction in English.
Issues for Implementing, Supporting, and Maintaining French Immersion Programs
Although French Immersion programs are found in all provinces, there are still
many obstacles to the acceptance of such programs within individual communities. Among
these are social, political, and economic factors. In some cases, the demand and success of
immersion create some very real and unfortunate situations, particularly in the case of
school closures and the displacement of students. This is appearing to be a very real issue in
particular in the case of École Letellier School. With its small student enrolment, many
parents are beginning to question the school’s viability and what may happen to their
children and the program in the future.
It appears, according Canadian Parents for French (2000), that,
Unfortunately, as far as reviews of French language programs are concerned,
surfaces are cruelly deceiving. Those in Canada who are familiar with the
history of French Immersion programs outside the province of Quebec all
know what the sad reality is: Report after report is commissioned and report
after report seems to point to the exact same issues and problems. Time and
time again, the problems of French Immersion in 2000 eerily resemble those
of the mid 1970’s. Remarkably, the issues appear to be virtually the same. . . .
. Attrition rates are too high and remedies should be found to bring them
down; there is insufficient variety in the choice of courses in high school;
authentic cultural content should be brought to the core of French teaching;
much more must be done for special needs children; immersion teachers need
to be supported institutionally with targeted professional development. (p.
19)
The biggest issues school boards have in implementing, supporting, and maintaining
French Immersion programs are: hiring qualified teachers to deliver the program, obtaining
suitable instructional materials, problems associated with transportation, and enrolment.
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Students, parents, and school boards have identified issues in French Immersion which
make it limiting for students especially in the high school years. A shortage of qualified
teachers with expertise in the subject area they teach as well as in French language has been
identified as the number one issue of declining enrolments. This factor has been identified
as a problem by every province and territory.
Challenges
“The drop out rate of the program at high school is a concern” (Canadian Education
Association, 1992, p. 9). According to Halsall (1998), the reasons for attrition in
immersion programs at the high school level are: a lack of variety of course choices; too
heavy a workload caused by the demands of immersion; the need to choose between
immersion and other programs; the belief that higher marks for university entrance would
be obtained in English; a lack of opportunity to practice speaking French, both in and out
of school; and a poor quality of teaching and courses. At the elementary levels, the reasons,
according to Halsall, (1998), for transferring out of immersion programs are: difficulty in
understanding, speaking, and reading French; difficulty in reading English; poor relations
with the immersion teacher; emotional or behavioural problems; and lack of remedial help.
“As graduates of the French Immersion school system move on to the job market, many
lose the ability to speak French because they find few occasions to use it” (Hebert, 2002, p.
A.6).
Location of immersion sites has been noted to also pose a problem for some school
boards across the country. However, in the situation of École Letellier School, location of
the site is not an issue as this school was already established with its immersion program
prior to the amalgamation initiatives.
The hiring of appropriate qualified personnel including bilingual administrators,
teachers, and support staff is a prevalent issue in all immersion situations, including École
Letellier School. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find bilingual teachers and support
staff as well as administrators. “The lack of methods and resource teachers in French
Immersion programs (i.e., the lack of special help for students who might experience
difficulty) is a key factor in some parents’ decision to not choose French Immersion for their
child” (Canadian Parents for French, 2001, p. 6). In Manitoba there is a shortage of
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bilingual personnel to offer services for special needs students. Again this impact has been
felt at École Letellier School, and, as a result, the school has had to turn away several
prospective students of the program based on their special needs. Although these special
needs students enrol with provincial funding, École Letellier School was unable to
accommodate their individual programming needs due to the lack of the required bilingual
supports. The Canadian Parents for French report (2002) has identified the following
challenges for Manitoba:
The level of funding is still inadequate for needs; a letter from the Minister to
divisions has not resulted in divisional reporting of the actual dispersal of
funds. This information is not readily available; amalgamation of school
divisions should benefit French second language programs. School divisions
currently do not offer the same consistent high levels of program quality in
French Immersion. (p. 27)
The viability of École Letellier School, looking particularly at the enrolment factor,
appears to be difficult to maintain. At the moment École Letellier School, which is located
in a small, largely French community of southern Manitoba, has been fortunate in acquiring
qualified personnel: The administrator, the teachers, all support staff including the secretary,
the caretaker, and the bus driver are bilingual. It is, however, becoming more and more
difficult to fill vacated positions with equally qualified people. This issue of qualified
personnel shortage is referred to by Hoy and Miskel (2001) as the environment of the
organization. “Environment is everything that is outside the organization” (p. 28). As we
approach a teacher and administration shortage with many retirements fast approaching,
specifically in Manitoba, the task of filling the said positions with qualified personnel has
become more of a challenge. Very few school boards offer special services in French. Again
the major reason for this is the lack of qualified personnel in these areas. Canadian Parents
for French (2002) has stated that “sixty percent of Canadian school boards anticipate
(teacher) shortages by 2005” (p. 27). According to the Canadian Education Association
(1983) “there is a crisis of leadership in French Immersion programs” (p.26). They go on
to observe:
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It is difficult to see how a school principal can have a thorough understanding
of the factors that nurture French as a second language, including the sociolinguistic factors needed to support this language environment, without being
bilingual. Principals cannot help French Immersion teachers, develop new
training strategies and curriculum materials, or evaluate present curriculum or
materials, unless they comprehend and communicate in French. (p. 27)
Low enrolment in French Immersion programs also causes split or combined classes.
This is true across the country and is especially obvious at École Letellier School, where, at
times, five grade levels are present in one class at a time. Generally speaking, the split classes
at École Letellier School are extended to three grades in one class. This is a larger split than
that of its counterparts in most other immersion programs where, when there is a split, it
usually implies two grade levels in one class. Parents have come to object tremendously to
this trend, and many have removed their children from French Immersion programs. This
fear is a reality in the case of École Letellier School, as many families have already chosen
either an all-French education for their children at the nearest Francophone school or an allEnglish education at one of the nearby English schools in the division. Another real issue
for French Immersion schools is that parents are opting for a core or basic French program
for their children. In recent years this program has gained much positive exposure in terms
of being a viable option to French as a second language for many people. According to
Canadian Parents for French (2001):
During the last decade, core French curriculum development in Canada has
experienced a paradigm shift. The National Core French Study (NCFS) has
opened the door to a more stimulating learning experience for core French
students in Canada. A multidimensional curriculum, integrating four
syllabuses (experience/communication, culture, language and general
language education) into one unified curriculum model, provided a
framework for developing a richer core French curriculum. (p. 26)
Immersion programs are affected greatly by budgets. “Financial pressures restrict the
provision of remedial assistance for students encountering difficulties, and all too often, they
are simply ‘counselled out’ of immersion programs” (Canadian Parents for French, 2002, p.
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49). The question of transportation costs also plays a part in the budget for immersion
programs. Again this is true for École Letellier School where nine different communities are
represented in the student population. Transportation costs are a very large part of the
viability of the program. Some parents are not happy with the fact that their children may
have to go to school outside of their community in order to participate in French
Immersion education. Others feel that their children may be missing out on other specialties
which might be offered in English program schools such as Band, Choir, Art, and extracurricular activities. This is especially true in rural areas
and is the case for the program at École Letellier School. Because of the size of the school
and its limited program options, parents may be inclined to enrol their children at their own
community schools rather than at École Letellier School for immersion because the English
schools in the area may be perceived as better suited to offer a wider variety of programs.
The success of future French Immersion programs depends partly on the school
boards’ accountability for the grant monies generated by student enrolment in these
programs. Currently there are no systems in place to guarantee that subsidized monies from
the government are going back to the students in programs who generate such funds. There
is currently no accountability as to how school boards decide how these funds are spent. In
some cases, these monies are not even being used in the schools that have students enrolled
in French Immersion programs but rather are being used elsewhere as school boards decide.
“There must be controls established to make sure that the monies generated by immersion
students are in fact being put back into immersion programs. School boards must be made
accountable” (Rehorick, & Edwards, 1992, p. 388). It is reassuring to know that
“Manitoba was the first province who in 2000 the Minister of Education wrote to all school
boards directing them to be open and transparent about their use of funding for French
second language programs” (Canadian Parents for French, 2001, p. 32). Although this is
true, Canadian Parents for French (2001) also noted in 2000, “The flow of funds to school
districts is easily tracked, but the way in which funds are actually used in schools is not
clear” (p. 16).
Suggestions
In addition to the items mentioned above, time, resources, and a close supervision of
classroom instruction are needed if school boards are to give parents the assurance that the
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programs being developed and delivered are meaningful and are being taught competently.
Capping of enrolment for entry into French Immersion programs can be removed to ensure
more students can enrol. Providing information to parents about French Immersion
programs will allow parents to make well-informed decisions about French instruction for
their children. In Manitoba, a publication was made available containing such information
in 2002, entitled French Immersion in Manitoba (Manitoba Education, Training, and Youth,
2002). In some divisions in Manitoba, French Immersion programs are cut because of the
misconception that it costs more to educate a child in French than it does to educate a child
in English. Some school divisions restrict enrolments or cut sections of French Immersion
programs. In areas where there are few French Immersion students, the school board
generally refuses to extend the program past Grade 6.
Encouragement of postsecondary studies in French would also ensure the viability of
French Immersion programs at the early, middle, and senior years. In Manitoba, Collège St.
Boniface offers such post secondary instruction. Availability of the French Immersion
programs to all students is the key to increased enrolment. This includes gifted French
Immersion programming as well as special needs programming. Enrolment is enhanced
when parents and students receive relevant information outlining all programming.
Effective communication and promotion of immersion programs can be accomplished by
holding annual information sessions for prospective parents. “It’s the concept of learning a
second language that we have to promote. The awareness of the
importance of second language is a way to build French enrolment” (Sokoloff, 2002, p.
B.1.FRO). Assurance that designated government funding is used specifically for
immersion programs is crucial in ensuring the survival of French Immersion programs.
School administrators must be aware that these funds exist and confirm that they are not
being redirected for other purposes. To guarantee that this happens, records should be kept
concerning the use of these funds, and these records reviewed to ensure that the funds are
used effectively. Canada NewsWire (2003) has stated that to increase enrolment in French
programs the following need to occur:
·
·
Greater transparency and accountability for the spending of dedicated FSL
funding;
introduction of a wider range of core French delivery models and teaching
tools;
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·
·
·
·
·
·
more and better classroom materials for French Immersion studies;
innovative variation on existing programs (such as a move to ‘compact core’
or block scheduling);
aggressive recruiting to ensure that reserved spaces for French second
language teachers at education colleges are filled;
more use of distance learning to expand and enrich French second language
education;
more opportunities for study, work or exchange programs in French majority
language regions; and
stronger promotion of French second language programs to parents by
school boards. (p.1)
The Bureau de l’éducation française in Manitoba needs to take on more of a
leadership role in French Immersion programming. “While there may be individuals and
specific groups within schools and divisions playing a leadership role, there is no
province-wide leadership and certainly, no clear vision of the future of French Immersion”
(Manitoba Education and Training, 2000, p.5). The Bureau de l’éducation française needs
to be more actively involved in providing supports for the French Immersion programs
offered in Manitoba. Suggested ways the bureau can help maintain school enrolment in
French Immersion programs have been offered in the report by Manitoba Education and
Training (2000). Suggestions such as:
Informing schools that at the senior level, Maths is not required to receive a
French Immersion diploma, would go a long way to helping maintain
numbers in high school. Ensuring that new curriculum is available in both
French and English would help address concerns that French Immersion
students are disadvantaged by their language choice. Providing principals and
teachers with information and research that would help them combat ‘myths’
about second language learning, would help retain students in the program.
Developing a support network for principals of French Immersion schools
would help principals share problems and successes, and help each other meet
the challenges that exist. (p. 5-6)
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Recommendations
Actions which would assist in increasing French Immersion enrolments would
include keeping parents involved and informed through consultations with the school. In
Manitoba, the Bureau de l’éducation française holds a French Immersion conferences twice
a year for parents and educators. These are useful in distributing relevant information on
immersion programs province-wide.
“The Canadian government has set a national objective of doubling the proportion
of secondary school graduates with a functional knowledge of their second official language
by 2013” (Canadian Parents for French, 2003, p.3). This was announced as part of Prime
Minister Jean Chretien’s The Next Act: New Momentum for Canada’s Linguistic Duality. The
Action Plan for Official Languages (2003) in March of 2003. Under the Action Plan, “the
government has committed an additional $137 million to second language education”
(Canadian Parents for French, 2003, p.3). It is expected that with the additional funding
provided by the Action Plan, which is in addition to the support currently provided, the
following changes will occur: “Revitalizing immersion programs with more qualified
teachers, additional high quality teaching materials, more exchange programs and more
opportunities for bilingual graduates to put their skills to good use” (Canadian Parents for
French, 2003, p.4).
In provincial and territorial consultations held in April of this year, the following
recommendations were made in the report to increase enrolment in immersion programs:
Promote the practical career benefits . . . target campaigns at parents . . . start
promotion early . . . provide meaningful cultural exchanges . . . champion
bilingual success stories . . . search out through different media . . .recruit
and train more French second language teachers . . . provide adequate resources and teacher support . . . improve training for French second language
teachers . . . increase professional development opportunities . . . improve the
work environment . . . provide funding for local initiatives and infrastructure .
. . more points of entry . . . expand French curriculum . . . mandate French as
a second language . . . mandate postsecondary requirements . . . develop
competency standards for teachers . . . monitor progress . . . augment
resources funding . . . incentives for students . . . stakeholder consultation . . .
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grassroots messages . . . interaction among francophone and Anglophone
communities . . . bilingual community resources . . . leadership and
collaboration . . . ambassadors and champions of linguistic duality . . . job
fairs and school visits . . . career development and support . . . incentives for
business . . . sponsorship and involvement . . . promote extra-curricular
experiences in French . . . bring role models into the schools . . . collaborate
on cultural activities . . . encourage bilingual information at cultural
institutions . . . and promote bilingual and French programming. (Canadian
Parents for French, 2004, p. 2-15)
Manitoba has made some effort to increase enrolment in its French Immersion
programs. According to the 2002 Canadian Parents for French annual report, the
Education Minister has stated his support for expanding immersion programs in rural areas.
School division amalgamations are expected to have helped this process (Canadian Parents
for French , 2002). To some extent, it has in École Letellier School. Being part of a larger
division has increased the base from which potential students can be recruited. In Manitoba
more distance education course opportunities have been added allowing students the
possibility of acquiring French Immersion diplomas upon graduation.
In the past five years enrolment figures have dropped in Manitoba overall across all
areas, not only in French Immersion programs. The overall decrease in enrolment will have
a direct impact on the enrolment of French Immersion programs. This decrease has been
noted in the Border Land School Division and holds especially true for École Letellier
School. Over the last three years enrolment at École Letellier School has decreased by
fifteen percent. As a reaction to this decline in enrolment, this year École Letellier School
introduced a Late Immersion entry program at grade 4. This program addition yielded a
four percent increase in enrolment. It is a slow process, but by not capping and limiting the
entry level for kindergarten and grade one students only, the school may be able to
gradually increase enrolment and secure its viability for the future.
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Conclusion
French Immersion has evolved from being a just another “fad” to a uniquely popular
Canadian approach to bilingualism. It has come a long way in the time it has been in
existence, but still many challenges remain to be resolved.
This paper focused on the critical situation of French Immersion programs in
Canada. This finding raises a concern about the future of French Immersion programs. In
our current overloaded workload and paperwork, educational leaders can easily become
overwhelmed and fall back on a management stance that will see them through the day, but
little more. In so doing, they diminish the chance of improving the learning experience of
the students and teachers who constitute their community of learning (Hoy & Miskel,
2001). This paper has provided a framework for those wishing to contribute to the
leadership of the school and the school board to build and enhance capacity. Although the
territory may be unknown, the incentive is large–to create the kind of learning community
that connects and invigorates us in our professional purposes and that allows us to access
the deeper meanings that transcend the overload and make our collective and individual
efforts worthwhile. The ideas mentioned here are neither exhaustive nor conclusive;
however, they offer a starting point as to the decline in French Immersion programs across
our country.
With the predominance of the English language in the international community,
learning French as a second language may lose its prestige and seem less valuable to young
people who must make their way in a global marketplace. A possible question for future
research is: During the current era of globalization, to what extent has the declining status
of the French language affected participation levels in French Immersion programs? Given
the declining enrolments in French Immersion programs in Canada (Commissioner of
Official Languages, 1997) and the dominance of English within the international
community, further study of French Immersion programs could provide a greater
understanding of the potential linkages between contextual variables and retention.
Although French Immersion programs have been alive and well in Manitoba for the past 30
years, meeting the challenges and the future of French Immersion is still very much an issue
for administrators in schools offering such programming. According to the annual report
put out by Canadian Parents for French in 2002 (Canadian Parents for French, 2002),
“attrition from immersion programs continues to be a worry” (p.49).
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References
Canada Newswire (2003, October 24). Canadian parents for French puts forward
innovative solutions to deal with worrisome national decline in French second
language (FSL) education. Retrieved September 9, 2005 from
http://www.newswire.ca/en/October2003/34/c4381.html.
Canadian Education Association. (1983). French Immersion and school boards: Issues and
effects. Toronto: Author.
Canadian Education Association. (1992). French immersion today. Toronto: Author.
Canadian Parents for French. (2000). The state of French second language education in
Canada 2000. Ottawa: Author.
Canadian Parents for French. (2004). Provincial and territorial French second-language
education stakeholders consultations: Pan-Canadian Report. Ottawa: Author.
Commissioner of Official Languages. (1992). Annual report 1991. Ottawa: Minister of
Supply and Services Canada.
Halsall, N. (1991). Attrition/retention of students in French immersion with particular emphasis
on secondary school. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Parents for French.
Halsall, N. (1998). French immersion: The success story told by research (Conference Report,
edited for the conference French Immersion in Alberta: Building the future, November
19-20, 1998, Edmonton, AB.). Retrieved September 9, 2005 from
http://www.cpf.ca/english/resources/keynote%20address.pdf.
Hebert. C. (2002, December 23). Speaking French still a great asset; [Final Edition].
Guardian. p. A.6.
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Hoy, W. K., & Miskel, C. G. (2001). Educational administration: Theory, research, and
practice (6th Edition). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Manitoba Education and Training: Bureau de l’éducation française. (2000). French
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Research Associates.
Manitoba Education Training and Youth. (2002). French Immersion in Manitoba. Winnipeg,
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Schmidt, S. (2003, October 24). French wanes in classrooms across Canada; [Final
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Sokoloff, H. (2002, November 9). Bigger brains, better jobs: What French immersion is
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Declining French Immersion Enrolment 1

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