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in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, Ja nu ar y 30 ,2 02 0 | 20 Low interest ncial loan up to $15,000 for eligible clients Developing a Career Action Plan Job search tools & strategies Gaining access to financial support 647-394-6236 French programming is re- markably popular in Ontario, but the demand for growth hasn't been met positively by everyone. The Halton Catholic District School Board has laid out plans to expand French immersion in re- sponse to the program's popularity. However, that proposal was met with criticism at the Jan. 21 trustee meeting, by those who say more French immersion would be bad for the English track students. for the English track students. f Trustee Tim O'Brien, a former teacher, said there are undeniable issues created by the French im- mersion program. "To say that the English stu- dents do not suffer would not be true - they do. As a matter of fact, I will say they suffer more than any- one. What's also not mentioned is the fact when students are demit- ted from French immersion, they usually are the behaviour prob- lems. So, by the time you do get to Grade 6, 7 or 8, what you do have is an ideal class of French immersion students and a huge class of beha- vioural English students," said O'Brien. "It's almost as if the English stu- dents become second-class citi- zens. I've lived it, and I've seen it, and it's painful." Like many boards around the province, the Halton Catholic board presently has a wait list to join the French immersion pro- gram. In response, a proposal has been put forward that would begin an incremental expansion of the program with a maximum of two additional classrooms per munici- pality per year. In Oakville, St. Mary's would be the site of the additional class- rooms, likely requiring two new portables at the school. Melissa Whalen, a parent with children at St. Mary's, requested the board not expand the French immersion program at the school, citing what she felt would be the negative effects on the students there as a result of the reduction in yard space and added strain on re-yard space and added strain on re-y sources. "I am saying it will adversely af- fect each and every student at St.fect each and every student at St.f Mary's, regardless if you're in the English track or the French track, because the portables take up such a substantial portion of our black top space that when they are out- side playing at recess, there's not enough space," said Whalen. When the program last came be- fore the board, a number of sup-fore the board, a number of sup-f porters, including parents, came out to speak in support of a French immersion expansion. They ar- gued that French immersion pro- gramming had numerous person- al, professional and academic bene- fits for students. fits for students. f The lack of spots has left many families unable to enter the pro-families unable to enter the pro-f gram without having to leave the board. Whalen said she appreciates what those families are dealing with, but that the board must con- sider what an expansion would mean for all the students at St. Mary's. "I understand the many issues [early French immersion] families have and I sympathize. But I am looking at this issue from the per- spective of the over eight hundred students who will be enrolled next year before you even expand the program - we have no space. We cannot host an expanded pro- gram," said Whalen. Expanding the French immer- sion program has been widely sup- ported by trustees. A decision on whether to add the additional class- rooms in the coming years has de- ferred until the Feb. 18 meeting.ferred until the Feb. 18 meeting.f O'Brien said that while he com- pletely understands the difficulties the program creates for those not within it, he believes it's about choosing the greatest good for the youth in the board. youth in the board. y "I'm thinking about the 182 six- year-olds in the midst of this who are wanting to take the challenge of learning French. If we don't expand now, that ship sails for those kids and it sails forever," said O'Brien. "I feel the overall good does serve the 182. Although, I totally, to- tally recognize the suffering of those English students in those schools." NEWS CATHOLIC BOARD DEBATES FUTURE OF FRENCH IMMERSION PLANS TO EXPAND FRENCH PROGRAMMING ACROSS THE BOARD RESULTED IN A CALL TO RECONSIDER ROLAND CILLIERS rcilliers@metroland.com "It's almost as if the English students become second-class citizens. I've lived it, and I've seen it, and it's painful." - trustee Tim O'Brien