Immersion plan should be suspended--say no to cowboy politics

The following is part of an Editorial from the Daily Gleaner

In our view: Delay would allow for more public discussion

Published Friday April 4th, 2008
Appeared on page B7

"The province should suspend its plan to eliminate early French immersion for one year. New Brunswick Ombudsman Bernard Richard will investigate the provincial government's decision to eliminate early French immersion in favour of intensive French training program for all students beginning in Grade 5.

Richard was partly motivated by 200 complaints he received from the public. Richard hopes to have a report ready by June on the issue, and has called for the provincial government to delay implementation of the plan until 2009.

Richard said the delay would allow for more public discussion and give parents and students more time to adjust to any changes.

The ombudsman, a former education minister in Frank McKenna's Liberal government, said he believes it's a big gamble to eliminate early immersion, and that it could set back English and French relations in Canada's only officially bilingual province.

We agree."

....

"It is important for this government to remember that the learning and use French and English languages are core value in this province. This is too big an issue for the people of New Brunswick to accept and adopt, without a higher level of comfort and confidence.

The last thing we need in this province is cowboy politics."

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