Release: Vancouver School Board Set To Lose $160,000 per year in Federal French Funding

Vancouver -- Despite high demand and growing wait-lists for French immersion programs, the Vancouver School Board is cutting French immersion spaces for kindergarten students by nearly one quarter in the coming school year. 

As a result, the Vancouver School Board is set to lose one quarter of its $640,508 annual Federal French funding.

"The Vancouver School board will lose up to $160,000 in annual Federal French funding because of these drastic cuts to their French Immersion program. This is a senseless loss of significant funding," said Diane Tijman, President Canadian Parents for French BC & YK. 

Tijman added, "The Federal Government invests $8.2million each year in BC's public education system to support the provision of French second language educational programs, including French Immersion. These are "top-up" funds distributed to school districts to purchase classroom resources, hire support teachers, host cultural activities, and offer professional development in French. The Federal French funding is allocated to school districts based on student enrolment in French programs. By cutting one-quarter of their French Immersion program, the Vancouver School Board is shockingly giving up one quarter of their annual Federal French funding."

Vancouver parents have expressed anger and frustration over the cuts which will turn away hundreds of students come September 2017. 

Canadian Parents for French is a parent-led organization dedicated to promoting and creating French second language opportunities for all young students.
 
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Media Contacts:
 
Glyn Lewis, Executive Director
Canadian Parents for French BC & Yukon
glewis@cpf.bc.ca, 778-329-9115 ext. 317

Background

*As of the 2016/2017 school year there were 5,300 French immersion students in Vancouver. Assuming these cuts remain in place over the next 12 years Vancouver will eliminate roughly 1,320 French immersion spaces, or 25% of its entire program.

*To read BC's Federal French Funding Guide click here. 

*To view the distribution of Federal French Funding, by school district, click here.

*The VSB says the decision comes as a result of the surprise Supreme Court of Canada ruling last fall that requires smaller class sizes in B.C. schools and ended the longstanding dispute between B.C. teachers and the provincial government.

*Across the district, there will be about 135 fewer spaces for kindergarteners, compared to last year's total of 510 spaces. Five schools will lose one class each:

• Trafalgar Elementary.
• Lord Selkirk Elementary.
• Hastings Elementary.
• Lord Tennyson Elementary.
• L'École Bilingue Elementary.

*Click here to read a statement by Vancouver School Board Director of Instruction, Adrian Keough.