The French immersion program will soon be no more for students at École St. Marguerite Bourgeoys School.
The board of trustees made the decision March 6 during the Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools board meeting to discontinue the program at the end of this school year.
“Unfortunately the numbers just weren't there,” explained Adriana LaGrange, chairperson of the school board's trustees. Last year, the board considered ending the program but after students and parents showed up to the meeting in protest, the board “wanted to give it another try just to make sure that we had exhausted all possible ways to increase numbers and make it viable,” she said.
The immersion program, which started at St. Marguerite in 2007, currently schools 21 children between Kindergarten and Grade 4.
“In 2010 we had 36 students. In 2011 it was 23 and by February of 2012 we had 21,” she said.
“If we had a huge influx to Kindergarten and Grade 1 that we knew the program was building we would take a second look but the numbers have not increased at all, especially at the lower grades where we need to build the program.” She said last year in excess of $100,000 was spent above actual expenses to run the program and possibly more would have to be spent to run the program again this year.
“We just don't have the resources to continue it and the fact that there were no parents or students that attended the board meeting the other night, I think they understand. There's been close communication with the principal at the school so they understand the position the board is in and we appreciate the fact.”
For parent Ilona Eggink, she said it's important her three children receive a French Catholic education. Two of her children, one in Grade 4 and the other in Kindergarten, are in the French immersion program. In order to give her children what she sees as invaluable, she will be looking to transfer them to Camille J. Lerouge in Red Deer where French immersion programming is offered.
“We are Dutch. At home we speak Dutch and English and they do French right now. My Grade 4 student writes in French and talks and you don't want to throw that away. You can switch them to English but they will lose it again.”
She thinks because the program almost closed last year, a lot of parents got scared and moved their students into the English program or to another school.
“The school did advertise this year for the French, better than last year, but a lot of people knew it would end so they didn't register. We didn't really have a chance to survive.” She hopes the school will offer a busing option to transfer the students from a central location in Innisfail to the school in Red Deer.
“It's really inconvenient. The busing, the after-school activities will have to change.”
LaGrange said currently there is a bus that comes into Innisfail and takes students to Notre Dame High School. Whether or not busing would be provided to Camille J. Lerouge isn't something that has been discussed.
“There hasn't been a request for that so we would look at that on a per request basis. There is a cost involved to that as well,” she said adding, “We will do our best for sure.”
Principal of St. Marguerite, Rose McQuay, said the school is looking at offering a French enrichment program for the Grade 1 and 2 students.
“We're disappointed obviously, it was a great program but we don't have the numbers in order to sustain it,” she said. “We've been kind of preparing for it. For our students, we are still looking at ways in order to keep the French language and knowledge. When they go into Grade 4 and 5 FSL next year, they're going to be ahead. We already have students moving over into the English program so we already have (programming) in place.”
