French Immersion Phobia
There was yelling, crying, and name calling ... And this was the parents!
A guest blog by
Theresa Henry-Smith
My
"French-Immersion-Parent-Phobia" began when our local
school decided to offer Early French Immersion a few
years ago.
Even during the early decision process, things got ugly between the parents in our lovely little neighbourhood.
The proponents for EFI were very adamant & vocal. The opponents mostly consisted of parents who had expressed concerns about space, cost, and how special needs students would be affected.
There was yelling, crying, and name calling both at the school board meetings and on a CBC news feature about the whole mess. One parent unwittingly expressed to another, she was putting her kid in EFI so her kid would not have to be in the same class with any special needs kids (as so few are able to go into EFI). The parent she was speaking to had a special needs child. Oops.
Some parents wanted in because our neighbourhood school was a desirable one, and the EFI program would allow them to cross catchment boundaries. There were also those parents who perceived some sort of status to claim their kid was in EFI. Then there were folks like me whose kid asked them, "Mom, I 'd really like to learn how to speak French. Can I go into French Immersion?" I'm half French Canadian, so I told her, "Sure, why not?"
For months on the street, I got caught up in both sides of the EFI discussion. Walking to the kids to school became a journey of minefields. One mom expressed her views way too close to my face. Very uncomfortable. I avoided the EFI program meetings; I heard they went on like Hell on wheels. I went to one Canadian Parents for French meeting, freaked out, and never went back. Perhaps, I am insecure because as a half-Frenchie, I ashamedly only have high school French (but some sign language, to my credit ).
My younger child missed getting into the EFI program by one year. But that was OK. Really, it was fine.
When EFI was granted, parents started lining up days before registration, setting up tents and organizing board games. One parent, a friend of mine, stated to the press that if it was acceptable to line up for days for Who concert tickets, why wouldn't one hesitate to line-up for their children's very future. I think this friend also liked the co-ed pajama party aspect of this line-up-for-days business (I've got witnesses). My older child actually went into Late French Immersion and we LFI parents only started lining up at midnight before the morning registration time. The LFI parents are a milder bunch than the EFLers, in my opinion.
Many years have since passed. Some former opponents now have since quietly put their kids in French Immersion and some proponents have pulled their kids from French Immersion. My kid stayed on till high school and then switched back to English. I have managed to still keep my friends from (formerly) both sides. Avoiding those EFI meetings was smart, I'd say, as it helped me to not regard my neighbours as zealots.
Now, a poem:
French Immersion Line-up
Its 2:00 am and freezing cold,
They drink tea, no longer hot,
They lining for the program,
They want to hold their kids a spot.
They’ve all been there for many days,
They cannot take a chance,
They really really want their kids,
To talk like folks from France.
Like more rhymes (or other yarns)? Check out my blog.
http://sahmiyam.blogspot.com/
Even during the early decision process, things got ugly between the parents in our lovely little neighbourhood.
The proponents for EFI were very adamant & vocal. The opponents mostly consisted of parents who had expressed concerns about space, cost, and how special needs students would be affected.
There was yelling, crying, and name calling both at the school board meetings and on a CBC news feature about the whole mess. One parent unwittingly expressed to another, she was putting her kid in EFI so her kid would not have to be in the same class with any special needs kids (as so few are able to go into EFI). The parent she was speaking to had a special needs child. Oops.
Some parents wanted in because our neighbourhood school was a desirable one, and the EFI program would allow them to cross catchment boundaries. There were also those parents who perceived some sort of status to claim their kid was in EFI. Then there were folks like me whose kid asked them, "Mom, I 'd really like to learn how to speak French. Can I go into French Immersion?" I'm half French Canadian, so I told her, "Sure, why not?"
For months on the street, I got caught up in both sides of the EFI discussion. Walking to the kids to school became a journey of minefields. One mom expressed her views way too close to my face. Very uncomfortable. I avoided the EFI program meetings; I heard they went on like Hell on wheels. I went to one Canadian Parents for French meeting, freaked out, and never went back. Perhaps, I am insecure because as a half-Frenchie, I ashamedly only have high school French (but some sign language, to my credit ).
My younger child missed getting into the EFI program by one year. But that was OK. Really, it was fine.
When EFI was granted, parents started lining up days before registration, setting up tents and organizing board games. One parent, a friend of mine, stated to the press that if it was acceptable to line up for days for Who concert tickets, why wouldn't one hesitate to line-up for their children's very future. I think this friend also liked the co-ed pajama party aspect of this line-up-for-days business (I've got witnesses). My older child actually went into Late French Immersion and we LFI parents only started lining up at midnight before the morning registration time. The LFI parents are a milder bunch than the EFLers, in my opinion.
Many years have since passed. Some former opponents now have since quietly put their kids in French Immersion and some proponents have pulled their kids from French Immersion. My kid stayed on till high school and then switched back to English. I have managed to still keep my friends from (formerly) both sides. Avoiding those EFI meetings was smart, I'd say, as it helped me to not regard my neighbours as zealots.
Now, a poem:
French Immersion Line-up
Its 2:00 am and freezing cold,
They drink tea, no longer hot,
They lining for the program,
They want to hold their kids a spot.
They’ve all been there for many days,
They cannot take a chance,
They really really want their kids,
To talk like folks from France.
Like more rhymes (or other yarns)? Check out my blog.
http://sahmiyam.blogspot.com/