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French immersion at highest ever levels in B.C.
Public schools in British Columbia and the Yukon last year saw a higher proportion of their students enrolled in French immersion programs than ever before, including in the Kootenays, according to the latest numbers compiled by Canadian Parents for French (CPF).
In B.C., 9.72% of public school students participated in French immersion in the 2021-22 school year. In the Yukon, the number is 15.41%. In both cases, that’s the highest percentage ever recorded by CPF BC & Yukon branch. More than 53,000 students in B.C. and close to 900 in the Yukon were in French immersion during the last school year.
“As we head into the new school year, we know demand for French Second Language programs remains high,” said CPF BC & Yukon President Nancy Taylor. “Learning French and becoming bilingual can provide your child with lifelong educational, professional, cultural, and social opportunities.”
A number of regions have seen notable growth in French immersion enrolment over the last few years.
The Vancouver Island/Coast region is tops in B.C. with 15% of its students enrolled in French immersion. The Thompson/Okanagan (10.92%) is also higher than the B.C. average.
The Kootenay region has increased French immersion enrolment by 24.29% since the 2015-16 school year.
Vancouver Island/Coast (9.88%), Cariboo/Prince George (8.85%), and Thompson/Okanagan (6.58%) regions have also seen positive growth in French immersion enrolment over the last few years.
The Northeast region is lowest in B.C. at 6.76% of students. The Lower Mainland is also below the provincial average, at 8.89%.
“We commend those school districts across the province that have been finding ways to increase the availability of French immersion in their communities,” said Taylor. “In some regions, that has meant hundreds more students can enrol in French immersion now compared to a few years ago.”
While the percentage of students in French immersion is at its highest level ever, actual enrolment numbers in B.C. dropped slightly this past school year.
There were 189 fewer students in French immersion than the year before in the province, a decrease of 0.35% students. That continues the trend seen during the 2020-21 school year, when the pandemic created accessibility and participation issues that contributed to the first decrease in French immersion enrolment numbers in 20 years.
However, total student enrolment in B.C. public schools this past year dipped more substantially than French immersion enrolment, resulting in an increase in the percentage of French immersion students.
Numbers used in this report were provided to CPF BC & Yukon by the BC Ministry of Education and the Yukon Department of Education.
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