Ottawa, February 17, 2023 — Canadian Parents for French is thrilled to learn that the government of New Brunswick is abandoning its plan to eliminate French immersion (FI) this fall. This decision is a step in the right direction in Canada’s only officially bilingual province.
CPF, through its New Brunswick Branch, has been hard at work advocating for FI since news became public that Premier Blaine Higgs was planning to abolish this successful French as a second language (FSL) program. By participating in public consultations, engaging with the media and launching a petition, among other actions, CPF New Brunswick assured the voice of New Brunswickers was heard.
“We congratulate New Brunswickers for their engagement and commitment to ensuring youth keep having access to French immersion so they can fully contribute towards bilingualism in the province. We sincerely thank CPF New Brunswick for their leadership fighting for this cause,” said Derrek Bentley, National President, Canadian Parents for French.
At the national level, the CPF Network involved its members, partners and other stakeholders in this issue, as the crisis in New Brunswick transcended the province and it became a matter of interest for the whole country. FSL learners are a key component to increasing bilingualism, CPF is glad to see Canada’s only officially bilingual province recognizing the importance of a program like FI in this matter.
CPF is delighted that the Minister of Education and the Premier of New Brunswick acknowledged that eliminating FI was not the best choice and that they will look at ways to improve the program. We offer our support to strengthen all FSL programs, including French immersion, and to further bilingualism in the province.
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Canadian Parents for French is a nationwide, research-informed, volunteer organization that represents 35,000 members across Canada and champions the opportunity to learn and use French for all those who call Canada home.
