Canadians needs a bilingual education

[maplesyrup]

Family fights ruling on schooling

Quebec boy told he can't attend French immersion classes Education ministry considers it to be

English instruction

GRAHAM FRASER

NATIONAL AFFAIRS WRITER

OTTAWA—Cohen Parasiuk, 7, is heading off to the Grade 2 French immersion class at Wakefield Elementary School today, but his parents don't know if he will be allowed to stay.

He has been caught in a bureaucratic and judicial battle that resembles something out of a Franz Kafka novel.

"I've been fighting this case for two years," Michael Parasiuk, Cohen's father, told a news conference yesterday.

On Tuesday, the Quebec Court of Appeal ruled that Cohen could attend French immersion until it hears the Parasiuk case in December.

Michael and Kathryn Parasiuk are appealing a decision by the Quebec Superior Court in July that upheld a ruling by Quebec's administrative tribunal, which said Cohen did not have the right to go to French immersion and must attend French school.

Michael Parasiuk, a federal public servant, grew up in Winnipeg and was sent to one of the first French immersion programs there. When he moved to Ottawa and bought a house in Wakefield, Que., some 50 kilometres north, where his grandparents had lived and he had spent his summers, Parasiuk discovered that the Quebec education ministry would not allow his son to be registered in the neighbourhood French immersion school.

The reason? The Quebec government considers French immersion to be education in French when it is outside Quebec, and English education when it is in Quebec

What's the father's problem with French schooling? If he already has had his child in French immersion, he realizes the importance of his children learning both of Canada's official languages, so why is he making such an issue about his child having to go to a French school?

And as well, it is time for the English bigots to stop their opposition to bilingual schools in this country. We need them, and it is time for educators and the federal government to intervene and bash a few of these tetes carres!

[maplesyrup]

There are 300,000 students in French immersion in Canada, and Trent warned this case could discourage parents from sending their children to immersion if it meant they would lose their right to send them to English, or French immersion, school in Quebec.

This guy Trent can stick it as far as I am concerned. He makes out that having one's education in French is a fate worse than death. People need to stand up to people like this and defend the French school system. Guess what? I attended the French school system, and I am still able to read and write and speak English. Imagine that!

[Hawk]

What needs to happen is Quebec needs to lose its special status and become truly 'equal' with the rest of Canada, that goes for all minorities.

I am sick of this 'equality' that is so socialist (some are more 'equal' than others =p), make it true equality or call it tyranny of the minority.

The whole Anglophone/Francophone debate is based on that, since each side believes the other to be at fault. In truth both are.

However my personal OPINION is that English should be the only official language, and French can be another minority language =p This whole billingual thing is just pointless, its obvious Canada isn't a billingual paradise and continuing to force it will only result in furthur tensions and gaps in unity.

[caesar]

What's the father's problem with French schooling? If he already has had his child in French immersion, he realizes the importance of his children learning both of Canada's official languages, so why is he making such an issue about his child having to go to a French school?

And as well, it is time for the English bigots to stop their opposition to bilingual schools in this country. We need them, and it is time for educators and the federal government to intervene and bash a few of these tetes carres!

What's wrong with the father choosing whichever of the two bilingual he wishes his son to be taught in. You are being a hypocrite. You believe the English people should learn French; it works BOTH ways.

[maplesyrup]

Yup, I believe English folks need to learn French and vice versa. Call it hypocritical if you wish but as far as I am concerned, we would all benefit from being a truly bilingual country. I don't expect adults who have already done their schooling to participate, but everyone else who is in school needs to be in a bilingual school. No ifs, ands, or buts.

And if adults took all their energy that they use up fighting bilingualism, and put it into learning English or French, we would become a much healthier society.

Of course the separatists don't want that, it would take the wind out of their sails, and they would not have anything else to complain about.

[playfullfellow]

And if adults took all their energy that they use up fighting bilingualism, and put it into learning English or French, we would become a much healthier society.

Exactly how would this unite our country MS? You are forcing the will of the minority unto the will of the majority in all regions of Canada. Forcing people to do something they really do not wish to do in the first place just to appease another culture will blow up in everyones face. This applies whether you are taling about English Canada or French Canada. This is all a waste of time and money because it will never work. The option should be there to learn either language but there should also be options to learn other languages too in schools. Currently, Quebec is the worst offender when it comes to looking after its letting people learn English. Most schools here in Alberta make French compulsory for 2 years. Some don't because they are too rural and small and can not afford to hire just a French teacher. If indeed Quebec wishes to be a part of Canada, then it is time they show a willingness to do so. I do not think it is fair that the ROC has to bow to their every whim as they have done for so many years. It hasn't done squat anyways!

[caesar]

It is not beneficial to learn French living out here on the west coast. I took French in school and have never used it is 60 years. It is beneficial for the French Canadians to learn English as most of Canada and the world; English is one of the most used languages. Here in BC; it would be much wiser to learn Chinese or Japanese; as many companies require that for working at their company as they deal with people in China or Japan. It is a waste of time and money to learn a second language that one will never use; just like taking trigonomety in school is a waste of timne for most students; better to teach more on economics and budgeting.

[seabee]

In Québec, french-speaking public schools start teaching English as a second-language in grade 3. It is a compulsory subject, not an option. And this applies to all schools, no exception. A child can't graduate if he or she has not succeeded ESL. This goes on until the end of high-school. You can't be admited to french-speaking public CEGEP (post-high-school) if you have not succeeded in ESL at the end of high-school. How does that compare with the teaching of French in other provinces?

In Québec, the percentage of people who speak both Canada's official languaqes is roughly 45%, whatever linguistic origin or political affiliation. In English-speaking Canada, the percentage is below 10% and is mostly the fact of french-canadians.

[maplesyrup]

It is not beneficial to learn French on the West Coast

Says who.

This is such nonsense. Why deprive children of aspiring for the top positions in the land by not teaching them French?

Why deprive children of not being able to converse with the people in France when they visit their Chateaux, their Museums, their Art Galleries. Why derprive them of reading such great literature giants as Victor Hugo?

Do you have any idea how many people are in French immersion in BC?

In Alberta?

It is time for English Canada to bite the bullet, belly up to the bar, or whatever, roll up their sleaves, and start working to earn their citizenship in this great land of ours. We all have responsibilities in life, and English Canada needs to stop bellyaching, and just do their homework assignments, and stop making such a fuss about learning another language.

[I miss Reagan]

It's time for the French to accept their loss on the Plains of Abraham. It's time for the French to accept the fate of the French language, it's dying. Quit trying to keep it on life support.

[maplesyrup]

The only thing dying around here is your brain.

[August1991]

It's time for the French to accept their loss on the Plains of Abraham. It's time for the French to accept the fate of the French language, it's dying. Quit trying to keep it on life support.

By the same logic, Canada should just admit the inevitable and ask for integration into the United States.

In Québec, the percentage of people who speak both Canada's official languaqes is roughly 45%, whatever linguistic origin or political affiliation. In English-speaking Canada, the percentage is below 10% and is mostly the fact of french-canadians.

This is the essence of the issue. In practical terms, the two languages cannot be treated the same way.

We don't live on a polyglot continent; we live on a largely English-speaking continent. If there is any chance for Quebec to remain part of Canada, the rest of Canada must understand this.

[I miss Reagan]

By the same logic, Canada should just admit the inevitable and ask for integration into the United States.

I won't argue against that.

[I miss Reagan]

The only thing dying around here is your brain.

Hey now, no need to get nasty...

[kimmy]

It is not beneficial to learn French on the West Coast

Says who.

This is such nonsense. Why deprive children of aspiring for the top positions in the land by not teaching them French?

For a westerner French is as useful as the Moroccan Snowmobile (of TV fame) unless he has aspirations of moving east and working in the government. If he wants to stay in the west and choose a *real* job, then English will serve just fine, and as a second language, one of the Asian languages would provide a whole world more opportunity than French.

And, if a westerner really has aspirations of heading to Ottawa to compete for the top government jobs, they're probably being naive anyway. I don't think it escaped anybody's notice that all of the Big Cheese (Grand Fromage?) types who got in deep merde during the Auditor General's report have names like Jean-Marc and Andre and Michel. And somebody posted information in another of these bilingualism threads that a French Immersion education simply isn't good enough to make you fluent according to the civil service's language police. So, really, why would a westerner bother? He's probably excluded from the start.

There are real reasons for learning a language (like, people you need to talk to speak that language, or family tradition.) And then there are fake reasons for learning a language (like, to put on your high school transcripts, or complying with some government directive.) In western Canada there just aren't any real reasons to learn French, and nventing fake reasons will never achieve a bilingual society.

-kimmy

[maplesyrup]

August1991.....that was an excellent post.

The bad news is that unfortunately most people who post here won't get it.

It is unfortunate how mean spirited people can become.

I realize we are dealng with yah hoos here, but it is nevertheless quite disturbing.

Hot dog eaters is a good way to describe them.

I shudder to think what would happen to Canada let alone, French in Canada, if Quebec ever quit.

The good news is fortunately they don't represent the majority of the people in Canada.

[Argus]

What's the father's problem with French schooling?

How is that any of your business? Where does the state get off telling parents what language they can educate their children in. If you want to play God have your own kids and stop screwing around with other peoples.

And as well, it is time for the English bigots to stop their opposition to bilingual schools in this country. We need them, and it is time for educators and the federal government to intervene and bash a few of these tetes carres! 

Maybe what should have happened is for the English to take that attitude towards the French a century ago, and forced them to learn English and get rid of their screwy, provincial language. This country would be far more united and far more developed today without the immense cost of French. It is time for arrogant French bigots to give up their fanatic devotion to what is rapidly becoming another dead language anyway. Learn English and join the rest of the world, and stop wasting our time with their snivelling about their language.

[Argus]

We don't live on a polyglot continent; we live on a largely English-speaking continent. If there is any chance for Quebec to remain part of Canada, the rest of Canada must understand this.

You make it sound like Quebec leaving would be a bad thing.

Bon voyage!!!!!

[maplesyrup]

Let's keep the God crap out of it, eh!

Wake up and learn your history or your country.

[I miss Reagan]

We don't live on a polyglot continent; we live on a largely English-speaking continent. If there is any chance for Quebec to remain part of Canada, the rest of Canada must understand this.

You make it sound like Quebec leaving would be a bad thing.

Bon voyage!!!!!

Yaaaa! When Quebec goes so does Alberta! I like you Argus.

[Argus]

Yup, I believe English folks need to learn French and vice versa. Call it hypocritical if you wish but as far as I am concerned, we would all benefit from being a truly bilingual country.

One of the observable constants with dedicated leftists is their absolute dedication to principals which have no practical reality. Canada will NEVER be a bilingual country in the sense you want because Francophones are a tiny minority everywhere outside Quebec. Without sizeable French populations throughout the country there is no point in teaching French to kids because they will lose the language through lack of use within a few years of graduation.

[I miss Reagan]

Here here. Trying to make the French in Canada happy is akin to trying to deal with the Palestinians. They will never be happy until they get the whole pie.

[Argus]

It is not beneficial to learn French on the West Coast

Says who.

Anyone with more than half a brain.

This is such nonsense. Why deprive children of aspiring for the top positions in the land by not teaching them French?

Nobody educates children with the idea they might want to become prime minister in Ottawa. If parents in BC put much thought into a second language for their children it will be one far more practical and useful, like Mandarin or Cantonese.

One of them is eventually going to become our national second language anyway. Francophones are dying out and the numbers of Chinese speakers rise year by year.

[maplesyrup]

Without sizeable French populations throughout the country there is no point in teaching French to kids because they will lose the language through lack of use within a few years of graduation.

That doesn't make sense. Kids are taught lots of things in that they may or may not use later on.

Trust me if you learn French, and later on you visit France you will have a great appreciation for knowing French. So many more doors will be opened for you.

Why do you think their is such a demand for French immersion in Western Canada? Are all these people wrong? Of course not. They have a vision for their kids, and it is just too bad the rest of the country hasn't quite grasped it yet. But they will.

[maplesyrup]

Here here. Trying to make the French in Canada happy is akin to trying to deal with the Palestinians. They will never be happy until they get the whole pie.

Someone can make that equally ridiculous claim for the Israelis. Please lose the racism.