Monday, May 5, 2008

Letters May 5, 2008

Mirimichi Leader

Why focus on just one report?

In a recent article, Minister of Education Kelly Lamrock implied five reports have recommended the removal of Early French Immersion.

In fact, the opposite is true. Only one of these reports, the Croll-Lee Report, suggested cutting EFI would help our schools. The other four strongly recommended that the EFI classes be provided with better resources and more methods and resource teachers to help cure the problems caused by streaming.

It is baffling to ordinary citizens why Kelly Lamrock would choose to implement strategies found in a demonstrably flawed and biased report. It is therefore incumbent upon Mr. Lamrock to explain to the public why the Croll-Lee Report carries more weight than the combined four other reports he has referenced.

Citizens for Educational Choice remains confident our premier will do the right thing and follow the Ombudsman's recommendation to delay this decision for one year.

This would allow for full public consultation and further examination of the Croll-Lee Report while preventing our children from becoming participants in yet another educational experiment.

Robert Hoadley, Citizens for Educational Choice

Telegraph Journal

EFI decision fails students

It may seem that the debate over the elimination of early French immersion is dying down, but it is not. On March 14, the minister of education single-handedly removed choice in education. As the changes made to French second language education have not been rescinded, the fight to restore it will continue.

Only those children presently in the immersion program are protected, or grandfathered in, and are able to continue in early immersion until Grade 12. Since early immersion begins in Grade 1, children presently in kindergarten are not protected.

In N.B, the school system is kindergarten to Grade 12. By allowing the 2007-08 kindergarten children to be grandfathered in, you will give the Department of Education time to consult properly with experts in the fields of language and learning, to engage citizens in the decision-making process and to prepare effectively for the eventual changes made through proper consultation.

My question to Minister Lamrock and Premier Graham is: how can you not grandfather in children in kindergarten, when they are in the school system?

MEGAN DOUCETTE, Fredericton

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