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JENNIFER DUNVILLE
Canadaeast News Service

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FREDERICTON - New Brunswick rural schools aren't likely to benefit from changes to French immersion, according to district officials.

But Paula Kristmanson, a second-language researcher at the University of New Brunswick, said the guarantee of an intensive French program in Grade 5 for all schools is a positive step in providing French language teaching opportunities for all New Brunswick children.

"Most rural schools didn't have early immersion anyway either from lack of interest or lack of resources, so they won't likely miss the new Grade 3 immersion that's being introduced," Kristmanson said.

"Rural schools have core French, but most would agree it was a failing program, so the fact that they'll now all have intensive French is really great, because at least it's a bit of an immersion experience."

Education Minister Kelly Lamrock announced Tuesday the early immersion and core French programs, beginning in Grade 1, would be replaced by an immersion program beginning in Grade 3.

Core French will become known as English prime and will include more French instruction.

All students will be enrolled in an intensive French program in Grade 5 in which 70 per cent of instruction for half of the year will be in French.

French modules, or limited exposure to the French language and culture, will be introduced to children through music, art and other forms beginning in kindergarten.

Mark Noel, a District 17 education council member, is disappointed immersion won't be automatically implemented in rural schools.

He said it's not fair there isn't a universal system in which children have equal access regardless of where they live.

"I was actually happier with the education minister's first announcement which eliminated early immersion completely and replaced it with intensive French," Noel said. "It's not that I don't like immersion, I just think it isn't fair that you can offer something like that in urban schools, but not in rural.

"At least with the earlier system, all children would have equal access to the same program."

Noel said his son attended Geary Elementary where there isn't any immersion program.

He said that means the school also won't get the Grade 3 immersion program either.

"I think immersion is important and I'm disappointed it can't be available to all children in elementary. Fortunately, my son can go into late immersion in Grade 6 when he travels to Oromocto for middle school," Noel said.

"And, at least, the intensive French program is going to continue to be available to rural schools. It's just too bad they can't have both available to students."

District 18 Supt. Alex Dingwall said none of the district's rural schools had early French immersion except for Harvey Elementary.

He said the program will be missed by some in that community, but even that school had trouble coming up with enough students to justify having an immersion program.

"Unless there's a dramatic change in some of our rural schools, French immersion - even at the Grade 3 level - will not be requested or implemented in those schools," Dingwall said.

Brent Shaw, president of the New Brunswick Teachers' Association, said he's not surprised rural schools won't have access to the new Grade 3 immersion program.

There aren't enough teachers to go around and the government won't hire enough to make the program available in all schools, he said.

"We are pleased with the announcement of a $6.2-million investment into teacher training and resources, but I don't know yet how that will be allocated," Shaw said. "On a more positive note, we feel mostly ready for the intensive French program. Most teachers have already had their training.

"We just need the government to hurry up and give teachers their appointments so they know where and what exactly they will be teaching."

Some districts, including District 17, are still looking for intensive French teachers for the fall. An opening at Minto Elementary-Middle School is being advertised on the District 17 website until Aug. 11.

But Shaw said he doesn't expect it will be a problem to find enough teachers for the Grade 5 program, especially since there's no more early immersion in Grade 1.

According to Dingwall, most of the intensive French teachers are already in place.

"It's a program that was rolled out earlier in most of our schools," Dingwall said. "We're pleased to see it's going to be available in every school because it's something that we feel will have a dramatic impact on the interest and French abilities of students in rural areas where there typically wasn't anything more than core available."